Fight Like a Girl
by unicornhime
Summary: All Korra wanted was to fight, but as a girl - even as the Avatar - that world is closed to her. Refusing to accept her lot in life, she dresses as a boy to join the Fire Ferrets pro-bending team, and finds out that while being a boy might free her somewhat, she also runs into some unexpected problems...especially concerning her love life. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

All Korra wanted was to fight.

She sat at the edge of her seat every Friday night, listening to the pro-bending matches on the radio. She knew all the teams, all the players, and all the moves. She'd been a fan since before she even knew how to bend herself.

Now, at seventeen, it was all she ever thought about.

Unfortunately for her, pouring over pro-bending matches was not deemed an appropriate past-time by her teachers for a girl - let alone the Avatar in training.

She was under strict house arrest every Friday, with a guard at her door. One was even added under her window after a failed attempt to escape when her favorite team was playing at the arena across the bay.

Just across the bay. That might have been the worst part. She could gaze out at the golden spires and lights while the radio played the match. It was easy to imagine, but also impossible.

She'd never seen one in person.

Oh, she'd come close a few times. Girls weren't allowed in to see the dangerous sport - it was unseemly and too rough for their delicacies, which made Korra roll her eyes - and tickets were expensive. She'd dressed as a boy, snuck in through windows, bribed guards, even legitimately bought a ticket once, but never had she made it to the actual match itself.

Fate seemed to be against her.

So she sat with her arms crossed and leg bouncing at the announcer's tinny voice filled her room.

"Ooh, looks like Bolin took a nasty shot to the shin! I don't know how much longer he'll be able to - oh, looks like it wasn't very long. Into the drink he goes, but his brother's got his back. Mako sends his own fire power over to the other team's earthbender and over the edge he goes. Two on two in the third round with only thirty seconds to go and a tie to break. Who's it going to be folks?"

Korra chewed her thumbnail, her eyes glued to the arena, wishing she could see through the walls.

"Hasook's certainly playing with fire, there, he slices, spins, and ooh Taka gets a good hit in. Hasook's backed up to the edge looking mighty nervous and his teammate is in no shape to come to his rescue.

"And oh with a nice two-four combo, the Fire Ferret's water bender is over the edge. Mako better work fast if he wants to stay in this thing and would you look at that, the Panda Lilies' water bender goes for a swim! And there's the bell! We're down to a tie-breaker round!"

Switching from her thumbnail to her lip, Korra jumped up and started pacing, her heart racing as if she were the one in the ring.

"The Panda Lilies win the coin toss, and it looks like it's a water show-down. Team Captain Mako does not look happy as Hasook steps into the ring. I don't know what's going on, but it looks like some team tension is coming to a boil. Regardless, there goes the bell and Panda Lily Kahn goes straight for the kill. Hasook manages to dodge, but it's a close call. He's going to need some luck on his side if he has any hope of winning. Kahn's quick fire shots seem to be wearing him down but neither player has been pushed out of the ring. They're circling, staring each other down. It tense in here tonight, you can hear a pin drop as these two wait for the moment to strike. Our sponsors, the Stay Put Stay Pins may be happy to hear that - if you're going to drop a pin, drop a Stay Pin. But back to the match, Hasook is crouching down, and there he goes! He abandons his bending and goes for brute strength! I don't know how this is going to work in his favor, Kahn slips from his grip and sends a whip for his troubles. Hasook stumbles, but stays in the ring and lunges again, narrowly missing Kahn and - wait! That might not have been a miss, Kahn's fighting for his balance and there he goes! Kahn is out of the ring! The Fire Ferrets win the match!"

Korra whooped in excitement, punching the air as her muscles finally relaxed and her lungs sucked in some much needed air.

"There you have it folks, the Fire Ferrets are the last team to make into this year's City Tournament, thought I'm hardly seeing teammate camaraderie in the ring. Mako and Hasook are arguing and I'm sure this won't end well. We'll have more details for you in tomorrow's Sports Report. Thanks for tuning in and have a fantastic evening. I've been your host -"

Korra switched the radio off, then collapsed on her bed with a sigh. She turned her head to look out the window one last time, envious of the trickle of people starting to exit the arena.

What she wouldn't give to be there.

It was too much to dream she could actually fight - girls were forbidden from the sport. She thought it was a ridiculous rule. She was the Avatar for crying out loud. She could fight - and win against - the best of them. But it was tradition, and tradition didn't break lightly.

Even still, it was her greatest wish. Greater than becoming a fully realized Avatar, though she didn't dare voice that secret to anyone.

It was true though. The world was changing, and the Avatar's role in it was decreasing. There were police forces to keep the peace, councils to govern the people, and peace between nations. She might be in training to master all four elements, but after that, then what? Her elders spoke of world tours and grand ceremonies, but that wasn't what she wanted.

She simply wanted to fight.

—

The next morning, Korra flipped on the radio while she went through her morning stretches. After a moment of smooth jazz and a few commercials, her ears pricked up.

"Well, folks, it looks like the Fire Ferrets are in a bit of a bind. It seems after last night's victory, Hasook is off the team! That's right, you heard that correctly, the Fire Ferrets are down one water bender. They're holding auditions immediately to find a replacement. If you think you've got what it takes, head down to the Northern Pier at noon today to try your luck."

Korra's heart stopped.

This was her chance.

She could audition. It would be easy enough to sneak away for lunch, she'd done that more than once when the Air Temple's vegetarian cuisine simply wasn't what she craved.

Getting there would be the easy part. But she was still a girl, and one with a noticeably female form at that. Not for the first time, she cursed her chest. It was always getting in the way. She supposed she could bind it, and if she wore loose enough clothes, she might be able to pass for a boy. There was also the slight problem of her height, but that couldn't be helped. She'd just have to prove that short fighters were still just as fierce.

She didn't know quite what to do about her face, though. It was too soft, her eyes too large, her lashes too long. She frowned, gnawing at her lip.

She didn't dare crop her hair to help with the charade - her teachers would know immediately something was up. Sighing, she decided to just cross her fingers and hope for the best. They were expecting a boy, and if that's what she said she was, they'd just have to believe her.

As soon as she was done with her morning lessons, she sprinted to the ferry that would take her from the Air Temple Island to the mainland. She didn't dare take her pet polar bear dog with her - Naga was too well known and would give her away immediately.

Naga would have been a welcome companion, though. Korra's nerves started to churn her stomach into a queasy mess without her best friend to help calm her.

A million reason why this was a bad idea raced through her mind, though she couldn't really bring herself to care about any of them.

She was trained to fight, but it was only because she was the Avatar. She would never actually see combat, it was just tradition for her to learn. She might do demonstrations or something, but if she were ever in a dangerous situation, the White Lotus Guards that trailed her every move would jump to her defense and whisk her away to safety.

It drove her crazy. She loved the thrill of the movement, the elegance and beauty of a perfectly executed attack, and the rare freedom that came with it.

That taste of freedom urged her on to the pier where she could see a crowd gathering. She stole away into a small shop and slipped into the bathroom to change to her disguise.

With some trouble, she bound her breasts. She pulled on a too large shirt and eyed herself in the mirror. If she squinted, she could still see her chest, but any tighter and she wouldn't be able to breathe.

She redid her hair in a more masculine wolf tail. Once outside, she smudge some dirt and soot on her face to make her look more boyish. After examining herself once more in a window, she smiled.

She didn't look particularly manly, but she didn't looks outright girly either.

It would work.

It would have to work.

If she were found out…well, she didn't know exactly what would happen, but she had a feeling she wouldn't like it. It would probably involved getting shipped back off to the compound in the Southern Water Tribes, or worse, the near deserted Western Air Temple.

Republic City had become her home, and she didn't want to leave it.

Plus, she did care for her teachers, at least some of them. Disappointing them would be just as painful as being banished.

* * *

Mako ran his fingers through his short dark hair, resisting the urge to tug violently.

The handful of boys that showed up for tryouts was not encouraging. He thought it was bad enough when Hasook quit the team after Mako pointed out the errors the water bender made in the match, but Hasook was the useless slug he always was and refused to listen. Instead, he threw a fit and walked out the of the arena with no chance of returning.

He knew it would happen eventually; Hasook had never really fit in with Mako and his brother. Mako just wished it hadn't happened right before the championship tournament.

But now was no time to think about the what ifs and the whys, it was time to find a new water bender.

There were five boys lined up before him, with none of them standing out in any particular way.

Well, maybe the runt in the middle. He was a full head shorter than the others, and barely came up to Mako's own shoulders. He looked soft, with a bit of a star-struck look in his big blue eyes.

Great. A fan boy.

He looked to his brother, who was chatting amicably with the applicants. Bolin was there more for team spirit than anything else. The choice would be Mako's, both as team captain and as the older brother.

Mako sighed, then turned to address the hopefuls, ignoring the sizable crowd that had gathered to watch. "Thank you for coming out here today. We're going to start with a trial by fire, quite literally. If you can't at least hold your own against me, you won't stand a chance against some the teams we'll be up against."

He narrowed his golden eyes. "You first," he said to the fan boy. Might as well eliminate the weak first.

The boy grinned, taking Mako by surprise. He expected him to shrink back or panic, not welcome the challenge with open arms.

He gave the boy a second look over. He was short and dirty, with brown skin and blue eyes. Clearly a boy from the South. He wore a loose shirt that was two sizes too big, so Mako couldn't really see his build, but it looked about average. Nothing extraordinary.

His face, though, was unusual. It was hard to see through the grit, but it looked soft, even for a young boy. He didn't know the boy's age, but he had to be at least 16 to compete. The softness was only enhanced by long lashes and

Mako frowned. "Name?"

The boy blinked and opened his mouth to answer, but paused.

Mako raised an eyebrow. There was the star-stuck blankness he was expecting.

The boy shook his head. "Uh, Kor. I'm Kor."

"Alright, Kor. Take up your stance and show me what you've got."

Mako lazily took up his own position as Kor slid into his.

His form was good, if a bit stiff, Mako observed. Very traditional. The boy'd had formal training. That meant he was probably the son of a rich family; no one else could afford traditional training. Middle class families didn't bother to learn, and the lower class learned on the street.

Mako waited for Kor to make the first move, the sun beating down on them and the waves crashing in his ears. He didn't have to wait long.

Kor pulled a stream of water from the ocean, winding it around his body with a fluid motion, his large eyes studying Mako with a sure and practiced air.

Immediately he struck with a whip at Mako's legs, forcing the fire bender to leap back, surprised at the speed of the whip - it nearly caught him.

He narrowed his eyes at the boy, wondering if maybe he'd underestimated him.

Mako shot a volley of punches back, more to keep Kor on his toes and less to actually attack. Kor dodged them easily and pulled more water from the ocean behind him, spinning and shooting them towards him. One blast caught Mako's side, and he frowned.

"I thought this would be a little bit harder," Kor taunted.

Mako wanted to knock that smug expression off his face. "I was worried about crushing you," he shot back. "You're so little I have to fight on my knees."

Kor just laughed. Mako was sure he was used to being teased about his height. It was good to know he wouldn't let that distract him during a fight.

But it was time to take this a little more seriously.

Mako stopped hold back and called the burning in his blood to a flame in his hand. He blast it toward Kor's chest, to the side, at his feet, shoulder, hip, faster and faster and it was all Kor could do to block or dodge it. Finally the boy's face looked nervous, sweat making tracks in the grime on his skin.

Mako had him back up to the line in the sand, drawn at the start of the tryout, the waves licking at the beach, waiting for Kor to misstep and fall prey to the ocean.

In the end, Mako was stronger.

He knew he would be.

It was surprise that ended up being Kor's downfall. He didn't expect Mako to feign over and over again. The boy was too trusting, a common rich boy mistake. Experience long taught Mako that not everyone fought clean in the ring, and rarely was a fight straight forward brute strength.

However, he was reluctant to admit that Kor was a much tougher competitor than he'd expected.

He reached out a hand to pull Kor from the surf. Kor glared at the hand reluctantly, looking much more contrite.

"Not bad," Mako admitted.

"Not bad?" Kor scoffed. "I was better than 'Not bad.'"

Mako raised an eyebrow. "I'll see that if you ever beat me. But right now I just see a boy sitting in the sand."

Kor pouted, but accepted the offered hand with a firm grasp, and Mako pulled him to his feet. He was surprised to see just how small the boy's hand was, even if the grip was strong. Mako felt an odd shiver at the contact. Dismissing it with a shake of his head, he told Kor, "Go get a drink, come back in an hour for your next test."

The result grin was near blinding.

—-

The other benders hoping to make the team were much easier to judge. A tall boy with a shaved head looked a bit gawky on the sidelines, but knew how to move in the ring and might be able to work as a team member. Two other were immediately dismissed; one froze and was knocked out of the ring in two seconds flat, while the second was so clumsy that Mako didn't even have to attack, just wait for him to trip over his own two feet.

The last was another potential fighter, though not as strong as Kor. It looked like it wasn't going to be a very difficult decision.

He threw himself on the sand, reaching for his water bottle.

"There were some good guys out there," his brother observed, sitting beside him.

Mako hummed non-commitedly.

"That Kor kid sure has some guts," Bolin continued. "I bet he'd do well."

"I don't know," Mako hedged. "It's still just the first round."

"What else did you have planned for them?"

"I want to pit them against you, with no bending."

Bolin chuckled. "Not a bad idea. I don't think the city would appreciate my bending up the beach."

"I also want to see how they do up close, to see if we can trust them in a tie. You know teams are going to take advantage of any fresh meat."

"As if we aren't fresh enough."

Mako sighed. "We've done our fighting outside the ring. We may be the rookie team this year, but that doesn't mean we're rookie fighters."

"True, true." The brothers fell silent for a moment, remembering their lives before pro-bending, living on the street with no one to depend on but each other. It'd only been a stroke of luck combined with their self-taught fighting prowess that brought them to where they were now.

"Well," Mako said. "You ready for the next round, bro?"

"Three guys? I can take 'em, no problem," Bolin smiled. "Bring it on."

They drew a circle in the sand with a line down the middle. The objective was simple enough - knock the other guy out of the ring without using any bending.

Watching from the sidelines, Mako had a different point of view from when he was in the middle of the action. From here, it was easier to see the weaknesses of the hopefuls.

When Kor took on Bolin, he was reminded that as strong as Bolin was, he wasn't overly tall either. Kor would just need to work hard at the weights, bulk up a little.

But then he flipped Bolin without breaking a sweat.

Mako's jaw dropped.

The boy was strong. And he knew it. He stood with his hands on his hips, obviously proud of both winning and of taking everyone by surprise.

Mako pulled Bolin aside and hissed, "What just happened out there?"

Bolin looked bewildered. "I don't know. I had a good grip on him, and should have had him out in a matter of seconds, but he was quick. He knows how to use his size to his advantage. He'd do well in the tie-breaker ring."

"So you didn't go easy on him because you've taken a liking to him?"

Bolin huffed. "Of course not. I'm taking this seriously, too, you know. I want a good team."

"I know you do," Mako ruffled his hair. "I just don't like surprises. And we've never heard of him before. How's a good fighter like that just pop out of nowhere?"

Bolin shrugged. "He's a rich kid. Different circles."

"Maybe. I still want to find out a bit more before we give him a spot. Chat him up during the next break. You'll get more out of him than I ever would."

"Yeah, because I have people skills, unlike some people."

"You don't have to rub it in."

* * *

_There's Chapter One! Please leave a review and let me know what you thought! I'm hoping to update once a week until it's finished._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Korra was feeling good about herself. She passed both brothers' tests leagues above the other guys. She saw the way Mako was eying her, and it would teach him to judge her on her height.

Looks like all those lessons hadn't been just for show after all.

She'd watched the other benders try out, and knew she had it in the bag. The feeling was only cemented when Bolin came over to talk to her during a water break.

"Hey," he greeted her with a friendly wave. "That was some good fighting back there. Where did you learn how to fight without bending like that?"

"I've been in lessons since I was little," she said. "My teachers always made me learn every movement without bending before I was allowed to attach the element to it."

"That must have been frustrating with water."

Korra checked herself. She was just a water bender now, and she couldn't forget it or it would be a dead give away. "Yeah," she replied. "Especially for someone like me who can't stand still for more than five minutes."

He laughed. "I was like that, too, always getting into trouble. That must've been nice, though, to have formal lessons."

"I guess." She shrugged. "They never really took me seriously as a student though."

"Cuz you're so little?"

Because she was a girl, and wouldn't bother if she weren't the Avatar. But she couldn't say that. She smiled tightly. "Yeah. But I showed them."

"I'll say," he slapped her on the back. "I'd love to see you and Mako go at it again in a real ring and after we get some training into you."

Korra'd love that, too. "Maybe then he'd take me seriously."

"Don't worry," he assured her. "You surprised him this time, but he won't go easy on you next time."

"There's going to be a next time, then?" She asked hopefully.

"I can't tell you just yet," he held his hands out defensively. "But it looks pretty good." He winked.

"Fantastic. When will you know for sure?"

"I think Mako has one more test planned out, then we'll make our decision and let you know tomorrow."

"That's pretty quick." Korra sounded surprised.

"We want to be sure to have enough time to train together before the next match," he explained. "It won't do us any good to find another teammate only to have him hurt us worse than Hasook did."

"Whatever happened there?"

"He and Mako never really got along, but he was the best water bender we knew when we formed the team. Unfortunately, he knew it, and was overly confident. He never listened to anything Mako or I said, and never accepted when he was wrong or made a mistake. The last match did him in when he wouldn't listen to the plays Mako was calling, and he only won the tie breaker by sheer luck." He winced in memory of the game. "He and Mako really went after it when we got back to the locker room, and Hasook stormed out." He sighed, pausing a moment before continuing. "That might be why he's a little nervous to take you on. You're good, but you're cocky. He needs to see you're teachable."

"How can I show him that? I'm teachable!" Korra insisted.

"I don't know, but you could tone down the attitude a little around him."

"That's asking a lot," she pouted. "I'm not going to pretend I'm no good just to impress him."

"No, that's not what I meant," he rushed to say. "You can be good and own it, just…if he mentions something you can improve, don't mouth back."

"I respect my teachers," she said indignantly.

"Then you shouldn't have a problem. Now, I better go. Mako looks ready to start the next trial."

"Sure," Korra smiled. "Thanks for the tip."

"No problem. I like you, I think you'd be a good fit." He saluted her and walked off.

Korra felt a little giddy as she watched his might actually happen, she might actually be a pro-bender.

"Kor!" Mako shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. "We're starting, get over here!"

She jogged over quickly, itching to get on his good side. After her chat with Bolin, she wanted nothing more than to prove she was good enough.

Once she reached him, he handed her a few pieces of paper and a pen.

"This is you next test," he said. "You have an hour."

She looked down at the papers. "A written exam?"

"Over the rules of the game. It doesn't matter if you can fight if you don't know how to play." He raised a brow, challenging her to fight him.

She bit her tongue, then nodded and turned to sit in the shade as she filled out her answers.

The questions were straight forward enough, and thanks to her obsessive radio sessions, also easy enough to answer.

She was confident when she handed her test in, and waited impatiently for Mako to check her answers. He read over her writing painfully slowly, writing notes in the margin as he made his way through.

"So?" She asked, when he finally finished with the last page.

He opened his mouth to answer when another boy handed in his answers. He closed it, and accepted the test, then told Korra, "I'll let you know the results when everyone's done."

"Not even a hint?" She pleaded.

"No." Again, he dared her to challenge him, and again she bit her tongue.

This was going to be difficult.

She went to go sulk in the surf, letting the sound of the crashing waves and the salty sea air calm her. If she didn't want this so bad, Mako would've had a piece of her mind. Just because he was the team captain didn't give him the right to lord it over her. But she just had to play nice until she was on the team, then she could let her personality shine.

Finally, he called her back, with the other two remaining players.

She marched over, shoulders back and stance confident.

"Thank you all for trying out," Mako said without preamble. "Meet back here first thing tomorrow morning and we'll let you know our decision."

"You can't tell us now?" Korra wanted to know. "You have all the results you need."

"We still need to talk," he motioned to Bolin. "And you'll just have to wait."

"What more do you have to talk about?"

"There's more to finding a new teammate than learning their fighting skills and knowledge." He gave her a hard look. "They have to be willing to actually work as a team."

"Are you suggesting that I'm not?" She took a step closer, ignoring Bolin's pointed gesturing to knock it out.

"I merely said that there's more to putting together a pro-bending team than just looking at skills," Mako didn't back down.

"And how do you plan on judging those other requirements when you've only met…us… today?"

"It's not hard when you know what you're looking for."

"Can you be any more vague?"

"Fine, I'll tell you straight." He took another step forward as well, so they were nearly nose to nose. "I don't need some upstart fan who fancies himself a fighter. I don't need someone who just wants to join for the so-called glory of being a pro-bender. And I definitely don't need someone who's going to embarrass the team more than Hasook already has."

Korra's face hardened into a scowl. Mako might have been her ticket to the pro-bending world, but she'd had enough of his attitude.

"No, what you need is someone to stand up to you. You need someone to show you when you're wrong, and I know it happens, don't scowl at me like that. You need someone who isn't afraid of you."

"And you think you're that person?" He sounded skeptical and thoroughly unimpressed.

Her temper flared. "I know I am. I can show you new methods of fighting, and give you an outsider's perspective. I may be new to the game, but I've been following matches since I was little. I know all the stats of all the teams, and none of them know a thing about me. As far as anyone else is concerned, I didn't exist before today." She smirked to herself at the truth of that statement. "You'd be lucky to have me."

"You know, you had a good shot," he said. "Now I'm not so sure."

She scowled. "_You_ know, maybe I don't want to be on a team who's captain has a stick so far up his butt he can't see a good player when he sees one."

"_Excuse me?_" He bent down even closer, so close Korra could feel his warm breath on her skin.

"You heard me," she said coldly.

"Take that back."

"I won't take back saying anything I think is true. You want us to show you we're good enough for you team? Well maybe you should be showing us you're good enough to lead us!"

Mako growled at her and turned away. "You're done. Go home."

"No."

He turned back to her in disbelief. "No?"

"Do you have a hearing problem?"

He swore at her, and the papers in his hands went up in flames, which only made him growl at her again. "Now look what you made me do!"

"I made you do? It's your own fault if you can't control your temper."

"You're the one yelling at the person in charge of the decision to let you join the team or not! I'm not the one with the temper problem!"

"Bolin has a say, too!" She pointed at the younger brother, who looked very much like he wanted to be somewhere else.

"He won't want someone like you on the team anyway!"

"You didn't even ask him. How would you know!"

"It's my job to know! And this is ridiculous, get out of here."

"You know what? Fine. I'll see you tomorrow morning." She turned on her heel and stormed off.

"I wouldn't bother coming," Mako called after her, "Not until you learn to how to play well with others."

Korra didn't bother responding, though she did have to fight the urge to bend a rock at his face.

As satisfying as it would have been.

* * *

"So you're really ruling Kor out, huh?" Bolin asked, taking a sip of his tea.

Mako shot his brother a disbelieving look. "Are you serious? He's a mess."

The two of them were sitting in a both at Narook's, one of Bolin's favorite diners and an old hang out. The owner used to give them leftovers at the end of the day in exchange for a hour of work cleaning the place. There wasn't really much cleaning to do, and everyone knew it was a farce, but the boys weren't complaining when their bellies were full.

Once Mako was old enough to work and could afford to pay for their dinners, they kept coming back. Narook always slipped the money back in the boys' pockets. Mako would have insisted, but money was still tight and Narook was just as stubborn as he was.

"He has guts," Bolin pointed out. "That's useful in this business."

"He's out of control."

Bolin sighed. He could see there was no convincing his brother. "Alright, alright. I still vote for him, though."

Mako was incredulous. "After that ridiculous display?"

"Look, he's the best fighter, you can't deny that."

Mako grunted.

"And I talked to him, remember. He seems like a good guy, just a bit…used to getting his way. You know how those rich kids are."

"Which is the problem. He's rude and impulsive -"

"And dying to be noticed," Bolin cut in. "He's told me he had to work harder to get his teachers to take him seriously because of his size. And he's clearly desperate for you to notice him and give him a real chance. He saw how you thought he was a joke. Can you really blame him for acting out?"

He didn't have an answer for that.

"The other guys won't last," Bolin continued. "They just don't have the same drive that Kor did."

"So you want me to just pretend like he and I didn't have a shouting match?"

Bolin paused. "What if he apologized?"

"As if that will ever happen."

"No really. What if I got him here, and got him to apologize?"

With an arched brow, Mako gave in. "If you managed that, I would reconsider. Though I have to say - "

"Yes! Ok, wait right here," he cut him off excitedly.

"What, like you know where to find him?"

Bolin grinned, and ran off, returning with Kor in tow. "Ta-da!"

"How did you…?" Mako looked from Bolin's triumphant expression to Kor's unreadable one.

"He found me after you stomped off," Bolin explained. "Basically told me what I just told you."

"Is that true?" Mako asked Kor.

"I shouldn't have lost my temper like that," he said reluctantly, studying a knot in the wooden table. "I just really wanted to be taken seriously, and I could see you doubted me."

"I was testing you," Mako said with a stern voice. "To see how you'd react to pressure. You didn't do well."

"But I owned up to it, that has to count for something, right?" He lifted his eyes to meet Mako's glare. "Give me a chance! If I don't do you proud in the first match, I'll resign. I promise."

"Really," he sounded skeptical.

"I swear it." Kor's eyes blazed with conviction.

"And no more arguing?"

He bit his lip. "I'll try."

Mako sense that was the best he was going to get with him. He had a feeling that temper got Kor in trouble often and wasn't something that could simply be stamped out in a matter of seconds. He sighed and looked to his brother. Bolin clearly wanted Kor on the team. Mako decided to trust his brother's instincts.

"Alright," he said with a heavy heart. "I'll give you a shot."

Kor let out a triumphant shout.

"But if you don't prove you can handle it by the next match, you're out. Got it?"

"Got it!" He grabbed Mako's hands and shook them vigorously. "You won't regret it!"

Mako felt that odd jolt at the contact and yanked his hands back. "I better not." He gave a warning glance to Bolin, who was looking just as excited as Kor.

"Want to join us for a drink?" Bolin invited, waving to the seat beside him.

Kor looked truly pained but said, "Sorry, but I've got get back. I'm running late as it is, and I need to stay on..uh…certain people's good sides."

Mako wondered at the stumble, but decided not to press it. If Kor wanted to keep his rich life a secret, that was his business. Mako wasn't exactly in a place to judge on a person's background.

The slip didn't phase Bolin either, though his face fell. "That's ok, another time. We'll still see you first thing tomorrow morning, right?"

"Shouldn't be a problem." Kor confirmed.

Bolin gave him directions to the practice room and Mako studied their new teammate.

He was unusual, and something was off that Mako just couldn't put his finger on. But he would find out, and he'd find it soon.

After Kor left, Mako told Bolin he'd see him at home and ducked out after their newest teammate.

He was going to find out just who Kor was and why the boy was so determined to keep it a secret. There weren't going to be any secrets on his team.

—-

Mako trailed Kor through the dimly lit streets of the city. The boy moved quickly and surely, and it was clear he'd come this way many times before. He checked over his should often, forcing Mako to curse and duck into the shadows.

"You sure are a suspicious little guy," Mako muttered to himself. "What are you hiding?"

He followed him all the way to the ferry docks, even though the last ferry had left over an hour ago by the time they arrived. Kor ducked into a small shop, and even though Mako slipped in soon after, he lost him. He waited by the door to be sure to catch him on the way out, but after a half hour passed without hide nor hair of him, Mako realized there was no one else left in the shop.

He bit back his rising temper. Kor must have realized he was being followed and changed into a disguise. Mako knew he should have stopped the girl that had bumped into him and gave him a shock, thinking Kor had found him out. But he'd been too startled by those blue eyes and the girl's healthy curves to say anything but a mumbled apology for being in her way.

"You're just grasping at straw, stupid," he told himself, annoyed. "He probably snuck out the back. Clearly he's better at sneaking around than you thought."

Reluctantly, he skulked back home to the attic apartment he shared with his brother in the arena.

"Where did you rush off to?" Bolin asked as soon as his head peaked through the trap door.

Mako climbed the rest of the way up the ladder before answering. "I wanted to find out more about Kor. Where's he's really from, you know."

"Did you find out anything?"

"No, he lost me near the ferries."

"Really?" Bolin seemed impressed. "I thought it was impossible to lose you."

"You'd think, after all the practice I got chasing you around," Mako said with a gentle jibe.

Bolin shrugged. "I'm a growing boy, gotta stretch every now and again."

"At least you stopped getting into trouble with the police."

"That was one time," Bolin said with an exaggerated sigh. "And it wasn't my fault."

"Right. And Pabu just followed you home one day," He glanced meaningfully at the little fire ferret that Bolin kept as a pet.

"He did!" Bolin scooped the little furry guy up and cradled him defensively.

"Sure." Mako didn't say anything about the zoo mentioning a missing fire ferret on the radio call he'd overhead when checking on the police scanner. Pabu made Bolin happy, and he wasn't going to take that away from him.

"Anyway," Bolin said, "I'm glad you changed your mined about Kor. He really is a good guy."

"We'll have to see about that. I still have my doubts."

"You can't be mad at a guy who's passionate about something. You're just mad because he's too much like you sometimes."

"He's nothing like me." Mako looked insulted.

"Right, because you never fight for what you want with the stubbornness of a cobra bull," Bolin said sarcastically.

Mako humphed and filled up the tin basin they used to wash up, choosing not to dignify that with a response.

Maybe he and Kor did have something in common.

But he wasn't going to admit it. Especially not to his little brother.

Besides, that only meant they were more likely to butt heads in the future. He had a feeling today was not the last come to blows he and Kor were going to have.

And he refused to admit the thought excited him.

It got his blood going, a rare thing outside of the arena.

The basin nearly overflowed while he was lost in his thoughts, and he hurriedly turned the water off, ignoring Bolin's curious looks.

He washed up without a word and went to bed, stripping down to his underclothes and wrapping himself up in his threadbare covers. Bolin banged around in the kitchen for a bit, playing with Pabu and getting in a little more weightlifting before washing up and turning in himself.

The apartment was silent, save for the wind outside and the wood of of the old building settling down for the night.

The last thing he'd remembered before falling asleep were the bright blue eyes of the girl at the shop and how eerily familiar they'd been.

* * *

_Thanks for reading and please leave a review!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Korra couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed. She took the backstreets home and made sure not to do any bending, and when she transformed back in her female self, she found out where that feeling came from.

Mako was the one on her tail, and she nearly ran him over in the discovery.

Thankfully, he didn't make the connection, though he did give her an odd look. She muttered an apology and ran like mad.

With the ferry already done for the night, she dove into the bay and swam back to the Air Temple Island, using her water bending to propel her. It didn't take long to reach the cove she used whenever she snuck away, and greeted the sky bison that grunted at her as she walked by with a pat on the head.

"You're out late."

She jumped a foot back, whipping around to a defensive stance. The voice behind her belonged to Tenzin, her head teacher, and the airbending master - the one element she had yet to unlock. Which meant they often butt heads.

"Oh, uh, hey Tenzin," she tried to play it cool, relaxed her stance, though her muscles were still on high alert.

"Where were you, Korra?" His voice was level, not betraying the frustration Korra knew was just below the surface. This wasn't the first time he caught her out of bed after curfew.

"I, um, couldn't sleep," she fibbed. "Thought I'd go for a swim." Her hair was dripping wet, betraying any hope of saying she was just out for a walk.

"You weren't at dinner, and no one has seen you on the island since your last lesson." He said, frowning. "I find you soaked to the bone well after dark. Korra, what do I need to do to make you understand you need to stay put?"

A wave a guilt washed over her as the waves of the ocean still kicked at her heels, reminding her of where exactly she'd been.

"Sorry," she said, though she didn't sound it.

Tenzin heaved a heavy sigh. "You need to stay on the island, Korra."

"I can't be cooped up," she protested. "You know it only makes me more frustrated."

"You need to learn control," he countered. "And that isn't going to happen if you're off galavanting through the city at all hours."

"I'm not galavanting -"

"You will not leave this island until I see improvement."

"What?" She exclaimed. "You can't -"

"I am your teacher, Korra. I know what's best for you."

"You don't know anything!" She shot back, stomping off and regretting it almost immediately. She knew her temper had already gotten her in trouble once today, but her blood ran hot and Tenzin was being unfair.

Once back in her room and alone, she paced angrily, muttering under her breath. Her poor polar bear dog watch her master anxiously, a soft keening sound in the bag of her throat as her tail thumped the ground.

"Naga," Korra sighed, taking her pet's large head in her hands. "What am I going to do? I can't stay here, but Tenzin isn't going to let me leave."

Naga only whined in reply.

"I guess we'll just have to see what the morning brings." She slumped onto her bed, her arms over her face. Naga licked her cheek, settling down beside her.

Korra slept restlessly.

Things didn't look better in the morning.

She made her way down to breakfast after her usual morning workout flanked by guards. Breakfast was tense, and she didn't know how she was going to get away to practice with Mako and Bolin.

She ate quietly, her mind working.

But she couldn't think of anything. She wasn't a planner, she was more a spur of the moment girl, and the only real plan she could form was to just overpower the guards and make a run for it.

Somehow she didn't think that would really help her situation with Tenzin any.

After breakfast, she was all nerves. If she wanted to make it to the arena in time, she'd need to leave soon.

Or she could kiss all her chances of pro-bending goodbye.

Desperate, she told her…escorts that she was going to run to the bathroom before her first lesson with Tenzin. They eyed her skeptically and informed her of their strict orders not to leave her side.

She rolled her eyes. "Please. I'm not stupid enough to make Tenzin even more mad than he already is. Just give me a minute of privacy," she all but begged.

Begrudgingly, they let her go.

And it turned out, she _was_ stupid enough.

Stopping by her room to grab her wrap and her larger clothes, she snuck out the window, ran to the waterfront, and dove into the sea, not bothering to chance being discovered as she waited for a ferry.

Her heart pounded with excitement as the water closed in around her, cloaking her in silence as she swam with powerful strokes to the mainland.

After that, it was only a matter a minutes before she was ready to go, and confidently strode to the arena.

The practice room was easy enough to find, and both boys were already hard at work when she jogged through the entrance.

"You're late," Mako greeted her.

She frowned, but managed to keep her voice even. "I had some trouble getting here. But it's fine now."

He raised a suspicious eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Trouble?'

"It's no big deal," she waved it aside. "I'm here now and I'm ready. Let's get started."

"Alright!" Bolin shouted, eager to start as well. "I like your attitude."

And with that, her put her to work while Mako watched. She could feel his eyes on her every move, but she refused to let it shake her concentration. She was going to impress him if it was the last thing she did.

Bolin, on the other hand, was easy to impress - and to like.

"Nice shot," he complimented easily after her water whip sliced the target neatly in two. He was free with his compliments, but to Korra, who had been enduring week after week of doing nothing right in Tenzin's eyes, they were golden. She all but glowed with the pride of her success.

After running her through some drills and target practicing, the boys joined her in strength training. She expected some kind of cut from Mako about her size, and was sure to put a little extra oomph into her pass whenever she tossed the weight ball in his direction, but to her surprise, he didn't say a thing.

He wasn't friendly by any means, especially compared to his brother, but he was certainly less hostile. More appraising than anything else, like a wild animal trying to get the measure of a human with food.

He never stopped watching her. Her fingers itched to make sure her breast band was secure, or fix her appearance in the mirror, but she didn't dare.

Then he decided he needed to fix her form.

"You're going to hurt yourself if you lift like that, even if you are strong enough." He stood close behind her, using his feet to widen her stance. One firm hand found the small of her back through her extra large shirt, putting the smallest bit of pressure on her spine. The other hand wrapped around her shoulder, pulling it back. "Don't hunch over like that, keep your back straight."

He was too close. Her back tingled with the sensation of his nearness and her tongue went dry in her mouth as she fumbled for a response. In the end, all she could do was nod as she followed his instructions cursing herself for blushing and praying he couldn't see from his place behind her.

He didn't back away until he was certain she did it right, and she expected a smug look of satisfaction from him. Instead, he looked pleased.

"Not bad," he said, and picked up a couple dumbbells to do his own lifts.

Still speechless, she smiled shyly. She couldn't help but steal peeks at him in the mirror while she worked through the rest of her reps.

He was undeniably good-looking. She might have been too stubborn to admit it at the try-outs, but it was hopeless to do so now. Tall and a bit lanky, he still had the lean muscles of a fighter. His workout clothes were a simple white tank top and black pants, both a bit ratty, but Korra had no complaints.

Except for maybe how distracting he was, and how she - dressed as a boy - absolutely could not do anything about it.

She shook her head slightly to clear her mind. She did not like him. Not romantically or in any other sense of the word. Just because he was handsome was no excuse for being a jerk.

Still, it didn't hurt to look, right?

Wrong.

Bolin was more perceptive than she thought. Also handsome, he was built stockier than his brother, with a more boyish face marked with the constant grin of a charmer. And he noticed her attentions.

He offered to show her out of the arena when practice was over and Mako left to wash up before heading to work at the power plant.

Right before Korra was about to say goodbye, Bolin said, "I just want you to know that I'm cool with it."

She looked at him quizzically, a little panicked that he'd figured out her secret so early. "Cool with what?"

"You know…" he said suggestively.

She stole a look down at herself and saw she was still bound up tight. "I don't think I do."

"You like my brother," he said simply.

Korra stare at him slack-jawed, completely at a loss. She sputtered for a minute before he continued, "And I don't think he swings that way, but he's a good guy. He won't hold it against you if you decide to tell him. And I won't either." He smiled.

Korra was still trying to process everything. He didn't realize she was a girl - he thought she was a boy…who liked other boys.

She looked a bit like a hooked cow fish, and he laughed. "Really," he insisted. "Don't worry about it. Mako's kind of thick when it comes to things like that anyway. I doubt he'll ever notice, and you don't have to worry about me freaking out or anything. I just wanted you to know." He bumped her shoulder with his. "I'll see you tomorrow."

And he left her, standing alone with her thoughts, completely at a loss.

But she didn't have time to even begin sorting out that mess, she had bigger problems to deal with.

Problems in the form of skipped classes and extremely displeased teachers.

* * *

Mako was restless. Something about Kor just set him on edge and it was driving him crazy not knowing what it was. He watched him all through practice, waiting for him to slip up or blow up again, but he didn't. He genuinely wanted to be there and truly wanted to learn.

He also had an oddly shy streak.

Mako expected protests when he physically adjusted Kor's stance, but there was nothing, only nods and acceptance. No smart come-back or denials that he was doing anything wrong. Just a quiet acceptance and moving on.

It made the kid seem a little more likable, Mako decided as he labored through the rest of the day. His job of generating electricity at the power plant didn't require much individual thinking, so his mind was free to wander. Time and time again, it wandered back to Kor.

That was only natural, he told himself. Kor was the newest upset in his life and it made sense that he'd keep coming back to him.

Even though he told himself that over and over again, he was mentally exhausted by the end of the day.

He was not prepared to see Kor again so soon.

Or so suddenly.

The boy was running pell mell toward the arena, his hair dripping wet, hanging around his face, and bundle of sack cloth wrapped in his arms.

His eyes widened when he saw Mako, and skidded to a stop.

"Is something wrong?" Mako asked immediately, his eyes darting around, looking for any signs of danger.

Kor was clearly upset, gnawing at his bottom lip as he shifted from foot to foot. He brushed back his hair, only just seeming to realize it was wet. With a gesture and a look of frustration, he bent the water out of it and onto the side of the street.

"Kor," Mako fought for his attention. "What's wrong?"

Kor looked guilty. "I…might have gotten kicked out. I don't have a place to stay. I was trying to think, and my brain works better when I'm moving."

Mako doubted that was the whole truth, and he spoke without thinking. "You can stay with us," he offered before his brain caught up with his tongue.

Kor's eyes widened. "I couldn't do that."

"Why not?" Mako was a little offended. "Our place not good enough for you? Seems you forget beggars can't be choosers."

"No, no!" He was quick to say, "I didn't mean that at all. I just… don't want to intrude. I know you don't like me much, and I highly doubt you want me taking up room on your couch."

"I don't mind." Mako didn't know how to address his comment about liking him, so he ignored it.

"I couldn't."

"If you're going to be on the team, you need to be getting enough rest and food. I'm not going to leave you out here to fend for yourself," Mako said gruffly.

"What about Bolin?" He was clearly fishing for an excuse.

"Bolin loves having people over. In fact, he'd probably kick me out and give you my bed if he could."

Kor's face softened a little. Mako could see he was making progress.

"Plus, you won't be late for practice again," he smirked.

That got to him. "Fine. And I'll show you, I'll be up and ready before you," he bragged, but Mako noticed the touch of pink in the boy's face.

Mako ignored it. "Deal. Come on, I need to pick up some food for dinner. You didn't happen to grab any money before you got kicked out, did you?"

Kor looked ashamed and shook his head. "It was kind of…sudden."

Mako's heard clenched. The boy just looked lost. There was no other word for it.

And Mako knew just how that felt.

"Hey," he said gently, kicking at the ground and looking up at the setting sun. "If you want…you can tell me what's going on. I know what it's like to be without a home. And even though we got off to a rough start, I can't hold that against you."

Mako stole a glance at him, and Kor looked like he was about to cry. His heart fell further into his stomach.

"I can't tell you," Kor said after a long moment of silence between them. "But thank you for the offer. It means a lot to me."

Another long moment passed and Kor shuffled from one foot to the other. "You know," he said finally. "I think we should start over. We don't have to be enemies here."

One side of Mako's mouth lifted in a smile. "Alright."

"Plus I'd hate for you to have to worry about me attacking you in your sleep," he teased weakly.

Mako chuckled. "I'd like to see you try."

The tension between them melted after that, and the made their way through the market. Mako carefully counted out his money at each stall, a little embarrassed to have Kor witness how careful he had to be, especially since Kor was clearly from a well off family. Who else would run off without any thought of money?

Of course, he thought a bemused smile, Kor was probably impulsive enough to run off without a thought in the world for anything other than freedom.

Once the reached the attic apartment he called home, Bolin proved him right immediately. He greeted Kor with a hearty slap on the back and gave him a quick tour. Since the apartment was really just one room, there wasn't much to show. A couch in one corner, a stove in another, the rafters where they slept, and newspapers and weights strewn around haphazardly.

Mako knew it wasn't much, but it was home, and he refused to be embarrassed by it.

Besides, Kor looked delighted.

Pabu approved of the newcomer as well, running up to his feet and circling him excitedly. He squeaked out a welcome and raised up on his hind legs so Kor could scratch behind his ears. He obliged happily, and that was all it took for Pabu to fall in love.

Kor made himself at home, falling into the brothers' routine easily. He chatted with Bolin through dinner, and seemed more than happy to take the couch when it came time for bed. Mako showed him the water closet down the ladder and down the hall. He explained that he and Bolin usually washed up in the apartment, but if he wanted some privacy, there was soap and a wash towel he could take with him.

Kor accepted the soap, his shy side making another appearance, and left Mako to face Bolin alone.

"So," Bolin started with a smirk. "It's finally your turn to bring home a stay."

Mako scowled. "What was I supposed to do? I don't know what happened, but it seems like he just got kicked out of his home. I wasn't about to just abandon him. I thought you'd be happy."

"Oh, I am, don't get me wrong. Just… a bit surprised is all. You always get all broody when I bring someone home."

"That's because if you had your way, you'd bring all of Republic City here, and we don't have the money or space for all of them."

Bolin chuckled, not bothering to deny it. They both knew it was true. Bolin's heart was too soft for the street, and he'd never have lasted without his big brother.

"Do you know how long he'll be around for?"

Mako shook his head. "It depends on why he left in the first place. If it was his choice, I don't doubt he'll be running back before too long. If not," he shrugged, "Then who knows?"

"Don't be so harsh on him"

"I'm not being harsh, I'm just being realistic. You figure out why he left, and then we'll have our answer. In the meantime, let's just focus on training him up and preparing for our match next week."

"Fine, fine." He climbed up to his pallet and drew the blankets around him "Night, bro."

"Night."

Mako stayed up, waiting for Kor to return, reading the day's paper. There wasn't much of note, though apparently the Avatar had caused a bit of a stir. Rumor was she was a wild card, causing as much trouble as she fixed while she was still in training. He'd never seen her, but he'd seen her handiwork. She tore up one of the streets to the factory where he worked, and he'd been late thanks to the resulting detours.

He turned the page, scoping out the latest news on their opponents, the Rabbaroos. They'd won their last match with a knock-out in the final round in an exciting come from behind victory. He'd have to work with Kor to make sure he know how to stay in the ring. Brushing up on defenses wasn't a bad idea for the team as a whole, either.

He scanned through the rest of the sports section, then the classifieds as he waited for Kor to return. When he finally did, Mako nodded a good night and told him to turn out the light when he was ready to sleep, setting aside the paper and climbing up to his own pallet in the rafters.

Kor extinguished the light almost immediately, and the attic was silent save the soft breathing of the three teammates.

Mako fell asleep more quickly and easily than he had in a long time, and he had no idea why.

And those blue eyes of the girl from the day before continued to haunt him.

* * *

A little Thanksgiving treat for you! I hope you enjoyed it. :) Thanks for being such awesome readers, I love hearing your theories.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Korra was a mess. She couldn't sleep; every time she started to drift off, one of the boys would shift or make some noise that startled her back to consciousness. There was no way she could relax with them in the same room. She'd never shared a room before to begin with, plus she'd unbound herself and was slightly terrified of discovery. It wasn't her fault she was sore after wearing it all day.

But she knew it _was_ her own fault she was in this mess. After she'd returned to the island, she was greeted with a very angry Tenzin, who immediately decided she should return to the South Pole where there were less distractions.

Korra refused, but Tenzin wasn't budging either. In a fit of anger, Korra stormed off to her room, packed a bag, and snuck out one more time. She'd had to actually outrun guards this time, and only escaped the water bending ones - who dove in after her - by doubling back and hiding in the cove, plus a fair amount of sheer luck.

If she hadn't run into Mako, she didn't know what she would have done. She just knew she couldn't be shipped off to the South Pole. Especially now that probending was within her grasp.

She rose early, a rare occurrence for her, but she wanted to get dressed without the risk of the boys catching her. Plus, she wanted to beat Mako to the practice ring.

She also thought it would be nice to make breakfast. Even if she wasn't by any means talented in the kitchen.

Several minutes into her preparations, though, she had second thoughts.

She'd thought to make a tradition Souther Water Tribe breakfast, since she doubted the brothers had had anything like it before. She slipped out of the apartment before the sun was fully up, and roamed the market. The fishing district was bustling with the morning's catch and she weaved her way though the morning light. Normally she came here as a girl, and was surprised to notice the difference as a boy. There were no cat calls, no cutesy nicknames, no looking down their noses at her as she tried to haggle. Instead, she was treated like someone who mattered and someone who could think for himself.

It was a bit eye-opening. She'd always known she was treated differently, but never really comprehended by how much.

Regardless, she still didn't have any money, but she new how to fish. She talked with some of the shopkeepers about where the fish were biting, and set out to catch her own breakfast. Luck was with her, and she was satisfied with her haul while the sky was still a dusty pink. She wrapped the fish in a newspaper to keep it fresh and braided the seaweed.

Her mind still mulling over her treatment as a boy, she made her way back to the attic, and began cooking.

She set a pot of rice and unwrapped her fish, then set to seasoning it with her freshly farmed seaweed and some spices she found in the cupboard.

"What are you doing?"

Mako's low, sleepy voice behind her startled her, and she dropped the pan she was searing the fish in. It fell to the stove top with a clacker as she spun around.

"Oh, uh good morning?" Aside from being startled at his voice, she was startled by his bedraggled appearance. His hair stuck up every which way, even as he tried to tame it with his fingers. She found herself jealous of those fingers.

Then she quickly stamped those feelings down, lest he wake up enough to notice.

"Morning. What are you doing?" He repeated, eying the stove a little possessively.

"Making breakfast," Korra announced proudly. "You'll love it," she assured him. "It's almost done. It's a traditional Southern Water Tribe Meal. I wanted to say thanks for letting me stay here."

Mako's eyes took in the bubbling rice pot and the slightly charred fish. "Where did you get the ingredients?"

"I caught the fish myself," she answered, poking at the fish. "And I found the seaweed, too. The spices were in your cupboard, I hope you don't mind."

She looked over her shoulder at him, and could tell he probably did mind, but he didn't say anything. She watched him expectantly.

"Um, do you need any help?"

She beamed. "Nope. Well, actually, maybe just with the dishes? I don't know where everything is just yet."

He gathered up the dishes and set them on the coffee table in front of the couch, then climbed up to Bolin's rafter to poke his brother awake. "Hey, Bo, breakfast is ready."

Bolin mumbled something incoherent and sat up, his hair sticking up in the back just like his brother's. It was kind of adorable.

Korra turned back to her work, blaming her warm face on the stove's heat. Then she noticed her fish was smoking a little, and with a little shriek, shifted the fish over to a plate. Sneaking a peak to make sure the boys were still distracted, she prodded the fish a bit until its best side was up, and scraped off the black char.

The boys shuffled over to the coffee table, sitting cross legged on the floor and leaning against the couch. Korra dished out breakfast with pride, then settled down to eat as well.

She waited expectantly as Mako and Bolin exchanged looks and hesitantly took a bite each.

Bolin chewed his thoughtfully, then grinned. "Hey, this is actually pretty good! I'm impressed."

Korra grinned widely, then turned to wait Mako's reaction.

He looked pale, and swallowed his bite whole.

Korra didn't need him to say another word. Her face fell.

He saw, and sputtered for an cover. "It's, uh, different from what we're used to. But not in a bad way! I mean, it's um," He looked to Bolin for help, who shrugged and left him to fend for himself. With no help from that side, he looked lost, and simply shoveled another bite in, followed by a healthy spoonful of rice. "It's good," he managed to say, in a muffled, strangled sort of voice.

She wanted to be mad at him and stomp off offended, but he looked so unsure of himself, like he wanted to kick himself for his less than desirable reaction. So instead, she just laughed.

"Don't worry, I know I'm not a very good cook." She pushed her food around her plate wryly.

"No," Mako started to protest, but couldn't quite find the right words to say. Korra watched in amused as he all but inhaled the rest of his breakfast - so her couldn't taste it, most likely - and disappeared down the ladder to the bathroom.

"Don't mind him," Bolin said as he leisurely ate. "He's kind of a picky eater."

"And I'm a terrible cook," she said around a mouthful. "Not a very good combination."

He chuckled. "Just leave the food to him from now on."

"No worries there."

—-

As Korra cleaned up, the thought hit her that Mako could've easily been a jerk to her. Instead, he tried to cover up his distaste to make her happy. He was serious about this starting over thing.

It was dangerous territory.

She couldn't let her crush go any further.

And living at the apartment really wasn't helping matters.

The boys were used to living on their own, and dressed without thought for the guest. There really wasn't a reason for them either - he was just another boy.

But that boy was Korra, and she was not immune to muscular shirtless boys in range of her vision. As soon as she realized they were undressing, she yelped out a pathetic excuse and hightailed it out of there.

She knew they were giving her odd looks behind her back, but she really didn't care.

It didn't matter if they thought she was strange. All that mattered was they let her stay on the team.

* * *

The week before their first match flew by. Kor was shaping up to quite the fighter, and Mako was glad he let Bolin convince him to let Kor join the team. Not that he'd ever admit that.

The night before the match, Kor's uniforms were ready. He was much to small for Hasook's old ones, and had to get new ones made just for him.

He preened, admiring his reflection in the windows, the dark night turning them to mirrors.

"You look good," Bolin whistled. "I might have some competition with the fans," he winked.

Kor rolled his eyes. "I doubt it." But he stood up a little taller.

"No, no," Bolin continued. "Five yuans you have a fan ask for your autograph tonight."

"Neither of us have five yuans."

"Ten that someone asks you on a date!"

"You're just being ridiculous now." Kor's round cheeks turned pink as he squirmed.

"Then it's a bet?" He grinned, pleased with himself.

Kor sighed. "Fine. But I don't expect you to pay up when you lose, because this is crazy."

"Oh don't worry, I won't be the one to pay up."

Mako decided it was time to intervene. "Alright, alright, we need to turn in. We need our sleep."

Then, before they all knew it, they were standing in the waiting area, minutes away from their first match as a new team.

"Okay, team," Mako began his preliminary pep talk, "We're going into this as ready as we can be. We've trained, and we know how the Rabbaroos fight. We've got this. Are we ready?"

"We're ready!" Kor and Bolin echoed, their excitement almost palpable as the crowd started to cheer and the lights started to dim.

"Then let's go!"

They boarded the entry lift, hearts pounding with anticipation.

"Introducing the Fire Ferrets!" The announcer cried out as the spotlights blinded the three benders. Blinking the stars away, they waved to the screaming crowds, drinking in the energy that pulsed through the arena.

"And their opponents, the White Sands Rabbaroos!"

There were jeers mixed in with the cheers this time. The Fire Ferrets had very loyal fans.

"Alright gentlemen, we're in for a treat tonight as the Fire Ferrets introduce their newest member, a water bended named Kor. We'll see if he's made of enough tough stuff to stick around tonight, but we've seen excellent bending from the rookie team so far so your guess is as good as mine."

Mako took his position, watching Kor carefully as he glared down the opposing water bender, a tall man with much more experience than him.

They'd gone over this. The bender was more experienced - and knew it. He was going to be cocky, and as long as Kor kept his head, he'd be fine.

The starting bell rang out and the first round started with a burst of dust as the two earth benders struck.

Mako preferred to bide his time, waiting for the other team to wear themselves out before attacking. He kept one eye on the water bender that targeted him, and the other on Kor.

The newest member seemed to be holding his own, giving back as hard as he was getting.

"The Rabbaroos recognize a greenie when they see one, and they're giving this boy all they've got. But he's no slouch, and manages to knock the water and earth benders back to zone two. And the bending brothers take care of the fire bender and there he goes into the drink!"

The bell signaled the end of round one, and the Fire Ferrets cheered.

"That's one round down," Bolin said, a broad grin on his face. "It's looking good!"

"Don't get ahead of yourselves," Mako warned, "It's only one round."

Kor nodded, and soon the second round was underway.

It did not go as well as the first.

"Looks like the Fire Ferrets used up all their luck in the first round as Newcomer Kor is quickly knocked off his feet and back to zone three. Mako and Bolin are hanging on in zone one, but - ooh, knocked back to zone two with a nice combo from the Rabbaroos as Kor inches closer and closer to the edge of the ring. It's not looking good for him folks. He's dodging and weaving but…it's not enough as he takes a step too far and goes for a swim."

Mako and Bolin looked back in concern, but the Rabbarroos were angry at their loss in the first round and fighting back hard. The Fire Ferrets managed to hang on with Bolin in zone three and Mako in two, but with Kor out, they lost the round.

"Alright folks, the last round determines the match! Will it be the rookie underdogs or the determined Rabbaroos?"

The crowd cheered as the last round began.

"Watch your feet," Mako shouted to Kor, dodging an earth disc and returning a flaming shot of his own.

Kor didn't bother wasting time or his attention to respond, but he'd heard. His shots were a little less out of control as he waiting for the good shots and spent the time in between with a careful eye on his opponents.

The seconds ticked down as the teams fought, both gaining and losing ground so neither was ahead.

With precious little time remaining, the crowd began to count down and Kor shot Mako a frantic look.

If they lost now, it would all be over.

Neither of them wanted it to be over.

Mako's fire burned a little brighter and Kor's water flew a little sharper.

"Ten seconds remaining, can they do it?" The announcer cried out over the frenzied roar of the crowd. "The Fire Ferrets are fighting with all they've got and it looks like they might have just enough juice left - yes! With a well-timed combo, Mako and Kor knock Han right over the edge, and the Fire Ferrets win the match!"

Mako beamed with pride as the announcer's voice boom throughout the stadium, proclaiming them the winners. He didn't even protest when Bolin gathered the three of them into a group hug right there in the ring.

"That was amazing!" Kor gushed as they made their way back to the players' waiting room, "That was the best thing I've ever done in my entire life!"

The brothers chuckled, knowing all too well the feeling of complete exhilaration.

"You did great, too," Bolin assured him. "That last round was incredible."

Even Mako had to admit he'd done well. "You really come alive in the ring."

Kor's smile was blinding.

"There you are!"

The three turned in surprise to see a girl waiting for them. She rushed toward them, her long, curly hair swirling around her, and her bright green eyes alight with excitement.

"Asami Sato?" Mako blinked in surprise. "What are you doing down here?"

The daughter of the rich and revered inventor Hiroshi Sato, Asami was every part the beautiful heiress. Mako had seen pictures of her in the newspaper at local charity events or at balls hosted by her father, and always felt a bit starstruck when he saw her.

Because in addition to inventing the satomobiles that roamed the city, Hiroshi was also a strong pro-bending supporter. Asami was one of the few women even allowed in the arena, and even then, she stayed in her private box.

Needless to say, seeing her in the players' room was a bit of a shock.

She tossed her hair over one shoulder and shot him a winning smile. "I managed to sneak away for a minute. I was just so moved by your fight tonight I _had_ to come congratulate you! Your new teammate is something else." She ran her eyes over Kor with a speculating gleam.

Mako's stomach tied itself into knots. The first time he meets _the_ Asami Sato, and she's more interested in the new kid?

"Oh, uh, thanks," Kor says, a light blush in his cheeks, his voice sounding strange. Clearly the poor guys wasn't used to attention from the ladies, especially not of Asami's caliber.

"I've been following your team since the very beginning," she informed them all. "I have a weakness for the underdogs. And look at you! Coming from no formal training, a teammate bailing out at the last minute, and now you're in the championships!"

"Well, we're pretty proud of ourselves, too," Bolin said, puffing up his chest.

"And I wouldn't say no training," Mako cut in, a hint of a frown on his lips. "We know how to fight."

"Clearly!" Asami said smiling, her smile disarming him. Then she turned her attention back to Kor. "So tell me all about yourself. They haven't printed anything about you in the papers yet and I'm dying to know everything."

Kor looked to Bolin and Mako for rescue, but Bolin was only smiling encouragingly, and Mako looked a bit disgruntled, offering no advice.

"Uh, I don't know what to say."

"Please! Tell me where you learned to fight like that? That finishing move was unlike I've ever seen before. Your water bending is so unique." She insisted, wrapping an arm around Kor's and pouting prettily.

"It's kind of a long story," Kor stalled, fidgeting and looking uncomfortable as Mako glared at him. Mako had been just as much a part of that move as he had been.

"That's okay!" Asami said, not at all distracted. "Why don't you get cleaned up and I'll take you out to a victory dessert?"

"Oh, I don't know-"

"Great, I'll see you in an hour in front of the arena!" She winked at him, and said to the other boys, "I'll see you at your next match, good luck!"

And then she was out the door, leaving the Fire Ferrets staring after her.

* * *

_I hope all you Americans are having a great weekend! Some one needs to take my credit card away from me, haha. And as for you non-Americans, consider yourselves lucky, go eat some pie, and enjoy your weekend! Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Korra paced up and down the hallway below the boy's attic with no idea of what to do next. She couldn't go on a dessert date - or whatever it was - with Asami Sato. For one, it would be all to easy for Asami to recognize her. They'd been to several of the same city functions and had even talked on occasion. Korra had been a bit thrown off by the girl who was much more glamorous than she could ever hope to be, and they'd never really clicked. Secondly, she was a girl even if she didn't look the part, and certainly didn't want to go on a date. And lastly, Mako kept throwing her dirty looks as they finished putting their gear away, and it was obvious he had a crush on her.

Korra wanted to tear her hair out. This was getting too complicated.

"I'm just going to tell her I'm not interested." She muttered to herself, as the clock outside tolled the hour. Reluctantly, she dragged herself down the stairs. "Just be straightforward. I'm new on the team and don't have any extra time for anything that's not pro-bending."

She sighed. She'd never dated anyone before - being the Avatar and cloistered away had that affect - and go figure that after a week as a boy there was someone who wanted to date her.

After putting it off as long as she could, she trudged out to the entrance where Asami said to meet her. The girl was already waiting, her hair ruffling prettily in the breeze as she leaned against a sleek satomobile, looking at the lights of the city.

"Hey," Kor said with a wave, pitching her voice a little lower in hopes Asami wouldn't recognize it.

"Hi!" Asami jumped up. "Ready to go? You don't mind if I drive, do you?"

Korra was thrown off by her enthusiasm and automatically responded, "S-sure. I have no idea how."

"Really?" Her eyes widened. "You're missing out. Get in and I'll show you what she can do."

"Actually," Korra began, remembering her resolution to tell Asami she wasn't interested. "I don't know if this is a good idea…"

"Don't worry about it," Asami winked. "It's just dessert. And I think we have lots to talk about, _Korra_."

Now Korra's eyes widened, large as saucers. "How did you - I mean - _what?_"

Asami laughed. "Get in the car. I've got to hear this, and we might as well eat something. I'm sure you're starving after a fight like that."

Korra _was_ hungry, and if Asami already knew… "Alright, you're in charge."

After a slightly panic-inducing race through the city (apparently the girl had a need for speed), Asami took them to a crepe stand in the cheapside shopping district. At Korra's raised eyebrow, Asami said. "Not what you expected, huh?"

Korra looked at Asami's perfect manicure and expensive clothes and then to the dingy street stand. "Not exactly."

Asami took it all in stride. "I was down here for a store opening and was curious. They're actually really good, and I come back all the time. The man who owns it is really sweet."

Impressed, Korra let Asami treat her to crepes, which they took back to her car. Asami drove to a spot overlooking the bay, slightly out of the city limits. The view took Korra's breath away.

"Wow," she said as she took in the gleaming lights of the city and the moon's reflection on the bay.

"I love this spot," Asami confessed, unwrapping her treat. "It's quiet and peace. No one bothers me here, and now," she looked pointedly at her companion, "no one will interrupt or overhear us. So tell me. How did the Avatar end up as a boy in a pro-bending match. Isn't your teaching flipping out?"

"He doesn't know," Korra said, looking down at her crepe. "I kind of ran away."

"No," she gasped. "Start from the beginning. How did you learn to fight like that?"

So Korra told her all about her traditional training, the kind that was meant for show and not for fighting. She told her about her love for the excitement and adrenaline of pro-benind and the lucky happenstance that the Fire Ferrets needed a teammate. She told her how her plan worked when it came to the team, but not so much when it came to Tenzin.

"So I just left," Korra shrugged. "I wasn't going to let him ship me away."

"Wow," Asami said, dutifully impressed. "Do the other boys know you're a girl?"

"No, and it's been rough," Korra said with a grim smile. "Now it's your turn, how did you know it was me."

She laughed. "Please. I didn't know when I came down to see you - I really was impressed and wanted to congratulate the team - but I knew as soon as I saw you close up. Your eyes give you away."

Korra slumped.

"I'm kind of amazed your teammates haven't figured it out, too. And you said you're living with them now?" Asami cocked an eyebrow, grinning.

"Don't look at me like that, they think I'm a boy. I don't know why, but they do. I keep my chest bound all the time and dress in too-big clothes. I try to keep my face kind of dirty so they can't see it clearly, but I doubt the charade will last."

"Well, men believe what they want to believe." Asami shrugged one delicate shoulder. "I might be able to help you though."

"Really? How?"

"Well, first thing is to give you a bit of a man makeover," she giggled at Korra's hesitant expression. "So you won't have to be dirty all the time. Just thickening your eyebrows, give you sideburns, that sort of thing. Don't worry, that'll be easy."

"First thing?" She echoed.

"Second thing," Asami looked all too amused at what she was about to say. "You need a girlfriend."

"What? No, Asami - "

"It won't be real, obviously," she rolled her eyes. "But if other people see you with one, you'll be that much more masculine, you know?"

"Are you suggesting -"

"That I be your girlfriend?" Asami cut her off, pleased. "Yep!"

Korra rubbed her forehead. "That's not going to work. No one's going to believe it."

"Why not?" Asami asked. "You're the newest, hottest thing in pro-bending. It'll be an easy sell."

"But you're _Asami Sato_," Korra reminded her.

"Who has always had a soft spot for pro-bending," she grinned. "The city knows I'm one of the few girls allowed in the arena. It makes perfect sense."

Korra groaned. "What do you get out of this?"

"I think it's great that you're in the ring, showing how a girl can fight just as well as a boy," she said seriously, then her tone lightened. "Plus I think it'll be great fun to watch."

"You're horrible," she said, though it lacked any bite and she was starting to smile.

"You'll grow to love me. As you should, seeing as I'm your girlfriend now." Asami leaned over and playfully kissed her cheek.

—-

Asami dropped her off back at the arena, waved goodbye, and sped off into the night. Her reckless driving was something Korra was apparently going to have to get used to.

Mako was waiting up for her, and he was fairly obvious about it, not even pretending to be doing anything other than looking out the window.

At least Bolin was already asleep. Or out celebrating; she didn't see him and had heard rumors of his notorious partying after matches.

"You're up late," Korra said to break the mounting tension. His face was blank, the flickering light casting shadows across his sharp features, reminding Korra just how handsome he was.

"You're back late," he countered. "Must have gone well."

"It did." She didn't offer anything more than that, and grabbed her things to dress for bed, then turned for the door. "I'm beat, so if you don't mind, I'd like my bed when I get back."

He frowned, but she saw him stand out of the corner of her eye and vacate the couch. He shook his head, and climbed up to his own bed in the rafters.

She heaved a sigh of relief, sped through her nightly routine, and gratefully crawled under the blanket, exhausted after the day she'd just had.

* * *

"I have bad news," Mako announced at the beginning at practice the next morning, holding a letter in his hand. "The entrance fee for the the tournament is a lot more than we thought it was gonna be."

Bolin winced. "How much more?"

"More than we can hope to earn in a week," he said, sighing.

Kor glanced between the two. "Wait, are you two giving up already?"

"Not giving up," Mako said, defensively, "Just stating the facts. Even if I pull double shifts all week, I won't even get close. Even then I'd be in bad shape for a match."

"Can't we raise money somehow?" He asked.

"Ooh," Bolin piped up, "I've been training Pabu to do circus tricks. We can camp out by the station and earn a few yuan there."

"Come on, Bolin," Mako chided. "A few yuan isn't going to help us."

"Every little bit counts," he pouted, petting the little fire ferret as Pabu curled around his shoulders.

"Can't we do some other sort of fundraiser or something?" Kor asked.

"Maybe, but what can we do?" Mako said. "We'd need some serious fire power to get enough attention and money."

Kor had a thoughtful look on his face, then hesitantly began, "What if I could get the Avatar to help out?"

The other two boys' eyes bulged in surprise. "No way," Bolin shouted.

"You know her?" Mako asked in disbelief.

Kor took a step back, surprised by their enthusiasm. "Um yeah. She's kind of…my sister?"

"No way," Bolin repeated shaking his head.

"How come you never mentioned that before?" Mako demanded to know.

Kor shrugged. "It didn't really come up. I didn't want any favors because of it."

Mako looked impressed, at least until Bolin started talking. "Did you know my brother has a huge crush on her?" He asked with a sly grin. "He used to cut out pictures of her from the paper and keep them in an old shoe box. I think he still has it lying around somewhere. I don't know what he did with them all but -"

"That's enough of that, Bolin," Mako coughed, a bit a color in his cheeks.

"I don't believe you," Kor laughed, clearly highly entertained by this new bit of information.

"It's true," Bolin insisted. "Can you introduce us?"

"Sure," he shrugged. "And I'm sure she'd be happy to help with any ideas you come up with. She's a big fan of pro-bending, too."

"Really? I've never seen her at a match," Mako said.

"She's not allowed to go," Kor frowned. "I think it's stupid, but that's what Tenzin - our teacher - decided."

Mako studied him. "I never knew she even had a brother."

"Why would you? There was never any reason for me to even be mentioned. I'm just the younger brother, and she's the Avatar. Who would _you_ pay more attention to?" There wasn't any bitterness in his voice, just fact.

Mako wasn't sure what to think. This new information certainly explain his excellent fighting skills - the Avatar had access to the best of the best, even if she wasn't allowed to actually use her skills. The girl came to the city to train, and her brother must have tagged along, too.

"Wait," he said, holding up a hand. "If your sister's the Avatar, how did you get kicked out of a place to stay?"

Kor colored. "I, uh, might have broken a few too many rules. It's really strict there, and I couldn't take it anymore."

"So they just kicked you out on the street?" He sounded skeptical.

"No," Kor fidgeted. "They wanted to send me back home, and I refused to go. I snuck out and just didn't go back."

"You ran away."

"You make it sound so childish," he complained.

"Not childish, just -"

"Don't mind him," Bolin interrupted, sensing a brewing fight and wanting to nip it in the bud. "Let's get back to this meeting the Avatar business."

Kor crossed his arms and gave Mako a dirty look. "Fine."

Mako just rolled his eyes.

"Great, so I just had this amazing idea," Bolin said, grinning ear to ear. "Kissing booth."

"What?!" Both Mako and Kor exclaimed.

"No way," Mako said, "You don't even know her, you can't ask her to do something like that."

Kor narrowed his eyes and even though he seemed like he was going to argue as well, he changed his mind just to spite Mako. "No, you know what? I think it's a great idea. She'll do it."

"There is no way," Mako insisted. "How would that even work?"

"It'll be easy," Bolin said. "We can set up a stall near the station or arena or somewhere, and make a sign saying 'Support the Fire Ferrets and Get a Kiss from the Avatar!' People will eat it up!"

"It's a great idea. How much do you think people would pay?"

Bolin and Kor quickly started discussing costs and strategy while Mako just stared at them in disbelief.

"I can't believe you're going through with this," he told Kor. "You can't let her do it, she'll look like a fool."

That was the wrong thing to say, apparently. Kor's voice was cold as ice and just as sharp. "I don't _let_ her do anything, she does what she wants. She's the Avatar, remember? And just as stubborn as me. And you better watch it, or I'll tell her all about your little crush, then we'll see who looks like a fool."

He didn't even Mako a chance to respond, and didn't bother to stay for practice. With a quick word to Bolin, presumably about talking to his sister, he left.

Mako glared after him, and Bolin just looked at his brother fondly.

"We really do need to work on your people skills."

—-

Not surprisingly, Kor managed to convince the Avatar to support the Fire Ferrets in their endeavor. Mako continued to protest the whole thing, but helped out anyway. He wanted to compete in the tournament just as badly as the others, and he could see there wasn't any stopping Kor when he set his mind to something.

The day came quickly, and the team had worked hard to spread the word. Mako and Bolin set up a bit of a ramshackle booth while Kor went to fetch his sister.

"I still think this is a bad idea," Mako grumbled, straightening the hand painted sign. They'd used scrap wood they found in a construction yard, so the booth wasn't perfect by any means, but it would do. Mako had the best writing thanks to one of his many odd jobs, and carefully written out Bolin's words on a squarish piece of wood.

"Yeah, yeah, but you're here and that's all that matters," Bolin said. He admired their handiwork, then turned to the street where a few curious onlookers were watching them. "Do you think Kor will be back soon?"

"Who knows with that kid," Mako started to say, but stopped in the middle of his sentence.

The Avatar was jogging towards them, alone.

"Sorry I took so long," she said with a smile, catching her breath. "It took some effort to get away. Kor will try to catch up, but Tenzin caught him on the way out." She winced sympathetically. "It may be awhile. Oh, and I'm Korra by the way. Nice to meet you," she held out her hand, which Bolin shook enthusiastically. When it was Mako's turn, he just sort of shook it dumbly, awestruck.

She had Kor's exact eyes, that same striking blue enhanced by her dark skin. She was prettier than her pictures - which were mostly grainy anyway - and dressed more formally than he'd expected. He felt out of place in his thread bare clothes next to her expensive looking fur trim and long skirts. Even her hair, half up in an elaborate bun and half falling down her back, seemed luxurious. Her skin was smooth, and much cleaner than her brother's, though the shape of her face was remarkable similar.

She smiled at him, cocking her head to the side slightly, waiting for him to say something.

Mako remembered himself and said, "Uh, hi. I'm Mako. Thanks for agreeing to do this, I know it seems kind of silly."

"I'm happy to do it," she said, "Anything to help an underdog team make it to the Championship." She winked at him and he felt his heart go into overtime.

Bolin took charge from there, instructing Korra where to sit and how things would work. It was simple enough - once someone offered a donation of at least five yuans, they'd get a kiss on the cheek.

Once she was settled, Mako took his place next to her to make sure there wasn't any funny business as Bolin worked up the crowd.

"So," he said, struggling to make small talk even as his heart pounded. "Kor and Korra, huh?"

She laughed. "Um yeah. Kor actually has a much longer name, but it's hard and annoying to say, so he goes by the nickname. It's tradition in my family for names to start with Kor."

"Really?" Mako sounded genuinely interested. He always thought family traditions were fascinating, and continued all the ones he could remember from his childhood. "What other traditions do you have?"

Kor looked surprised at his curiosity. "Well," she thought for a moment. "Every winter we go penguin sledding after the solstice."

Mako's eyebrows went up. "Penguin sledding?"

"It's fun!" She insisted. "I loved it when I was a little girl and my dad would take me. Master Katara said Avatar Aang loved it, too, so it makes me feel like I can still be the Avatar while having fun at the same time. Which, let me tell you, doesn't happen that often."

"Really?" Mako knew he wasn't really contributing much to this conversation, but he was fascinated.

"Yeah, it can be a pain sometimes," she made a face. "What about you? Any cool family traditions?"

"Me and Bo have a snowball fight at the first snow fall every year," he said after a moment's pause. "He usually wins. I'm pretty sure he cheats."

Korra laughed, and Mako was surprised at how the sound seemed to go right through him. He smiled, too.

"Alright you lovebirds," Bolin interrupted with a wry smile. Mako coughed loudly in embarrassment, but was pleased to see Korra blush a little. "It's time to get started. You know what to do."

"Right," Korra nodded, crossing her legs. "Bring it on."

Mako didn't think his job would be very difficult. He just had to make sure no one tried anything or took advantage of Korra, and to get her water or something if she asked for it.

He was wrong.

It was torture to watch her kiss boy after boy, even if was just on the cheek.

His stomach twisted into knots as jealousy curled up in the pit of him, jabbing at him every time Korra kissed someone who wasn't him. He caught himself staring at her lips more than once, full and enticing as they were, and drifted off into far too many daydreams.

Then he realized he probably wasn't looking very intimidating, and switched tacks to glare at every man who came near, daring them to make a move.

Korra noticed. "Relax," she chided gently, teasing him. "No one's going to do anything nefarious in the open like this, and you're scaring everyone away."

"I am not," he protested, his cheeks burning.

"That last boy was no more than six years old and you looked like you wanted to throttle him."

Mako choked a little. He didn't think she was paying so much attention to him, and he'd been jealous at how she'd given the little boy a hug as well as an enthusiastic kiss. He grasped for an explanation. "I, uh,"

"Seriously, Mako, lighten up." Bolin came to his rescue. Sort of. "I know we said we had to work on your people skills, but this is just sad." He chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.

Korra raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? Do you have trouble talking to girls?" She teased.

Bolin laughed, "He has trouble talking to anything that moves."

"Shut up, Bolin," Mako grunted, his face turning bright red.

"Aw," Korra cooed, "I think it's sweet."

"Don't patronize me," he said, refusing to look at her.

She giggled, but didn't push him any further. "I should probably get going anyway. It's getting late."

"Thanks for doing this," Bolin said earnestly, "It really helped a lot. I don't know exactly how much we earned just yet, but we're a lot closer than we were and we couldn't have done it without you."

"My pleasure."

"I'll walk you to the ferry," Mako mumbled, still embarrassed but unwilling to let her go so soon.

"You don't have to do that."

"I insist."

She looked at him for a moment, then smiled. "Alright."

The walk was filled with silence, tense in that pleasant way that meant something good was going to happen soon.

When they reached the pier, she thanked him and said, "You know, if you wanted a kiss, too, all you had to do was ask."

He stared at her, mouth open and eyes wide in shock. He scrambled to put his thoughts together to form a cohesive response, but all he could manage was, "What?"

She laughed again, that full, ringing sound. Before he knew what was happening, she took a step forward, placed her hands on his cheeks, and kissed him right on the lips.

He was too stunned to respond, recovering only at the last minute to move his lips against hers and place his hands loosely on her hips.

She pulled back, smiling impishly and her eyes dancing. "I'll see you around. Good luck in the tournament."

And then she was gone.

* * *

_Soooo? What did you think? Let me know and I'll see you next week!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

She'd kissed him. She couldn't believe it, but she'd actually _kissed_ him.

It was stupid and impulsive and wonderful and she wanted to do it again. Which posed a bit of a problem and exactly why she shouldn't have done it in the first place, but she couldn't help herself. He was just so adorable. The stiff firebender seemed to turn into an awkward mess around girls, something she never would have guessed. And he seemed so protective of her, which was slightly unnecessary, but sweet.

And he'd had a crush on her.

That was the biggest shock of all, and the boost to her confidence she'd needed to act so brashly. It also cast Mako's behavior in a whole new light - he didn't hate her, he just wasn't good with people. She was surprised she didn't see it earlier. It was obvious once Bolin pointed it out.

And now, her little crush on him was burning brighter than ever.

But now wasn't the time to think of such things. Now was the time to focus on returning her dress and getting back to the apartment without being seen and before she was missed.

Naturally, that didn't work out so well.

Just as she was about to enter the girls' dormitory, she felt his eyes on her back before he spoke and knew she was in trouble.

Guiltily, she turned to face her teacher.

He looked furious. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Um, going to my room?"

His beard twitched as he ignored her pathetic excuse. "What were you thinking, Korra? You're the Avatar, you can't just go running off like that!" His voice rose, but Korra stood firm.

"You keep feeling the need to remind me the Avatar, but I never get to actually do anything! I can't fight, I can't make my own decisions…what's the point then?!"

"You're still a child," he retorted, "and your recent behavior only further proves you are not yet ready to do any of those things. I expect you to go to your room, stay there, and leave in the morning for the South Pole."

"You'll be in for a disappointment then," she muttered, turning her back on him.

"If you leave now, I wash my hands of you," he warned.

"Good."

She wasn't about to stop now and stomped off to her room. Quickly, she changed into her boy uniform and left the way she came, not bothering to hide anymore. The guards watched her curiously, but Tenzin must have told them to let her go because no one put up a fight. She even got to take the ferry back instead of swimming.

Her heart pounded with a sense of newfound freedom, and she rode the high all the way to the arena. Bumping into Mako in the hallway only spurred her on as her lips tingled with the memory of his.

Fighting the urge to stare at said lips, she smiled and apologized for missing the whole event.

Mako waved her excuse aside. "It actually went pretty well. We're a lot close to having the money we need than I thought we'd be. We're not there yet, but we might have a chance."

"That's great news!" She said, following up the stairs to the attic. She bit her lip before asking, unable to contain herself, "How did you and Korra get along?"

From behind him, she was pleased to see Mako's ears turn pink. "We got along just fine."

"Oh?"

"I'm still going to kill Bolin."

Korra chuckled. "I saw her before I left, you know."

He spun around, an eager expression on his face. "What did she say? Anything about me?"

She tsked, but couldn't keep the devilish grin off her face. "Is there a reason she'd have something to say about you?"

He reddened again. "N-No. I was just wondering. You know. If we made a good impression or not. No big deal."

"She had fun," Korra took pity on him, but couldn't help but tease him a little. "And I think she likes you."

"Really?"

"Really," she laughed. "But don't expect me to play messenger here. You want to woo her, you've got to man up and do it yourself."

He scowled at her, but she caught him later trying to write a letter that could only have been meant for her.

She and Bolin were hiding out in his loft, spying on his older brother.

"I don't think I've ever seen him this intent over a girl before," Bolin mused, clearly entertained at the sight of his brother hunched over a stack of papers, painstakingly writing out each character with a shaky hand.

"Really?"

"He's always just so serious," he said. "I think he felt like he always had to be the dad, you know? Take care of me first and himself second. I've told him over and over again to take a break now and then, and that I can take care of myself, but well, you know him well enough now to see how stubborn he is."

"He's a good brother, isn't he."

"I couldn't ask for a better one," he said earnestly. "When we were little, he would always put me first. If there wasn't enough food, he'd give me his share. If it was rainy, he'd be the one to go out and made me stay inside so I wouldn't get sick. And when I did get sick, he'd take off work to stay with me. He got fired a couple times because of it, actually.

"You're kidding."

Bolin shook his head, a fond smile on his lips. "There's always another job, he used to say. I don't think there's another kid in the city that worked more odd jobs than he did."

"Any embarrassing ones?" Korra smirked, loving the opportunity to find out more about the guarded team captain.

Bolin chuckled. "Only a few. He's had a few mascot gigs. You know, those dancing guys outside of stores?"

She snorted. "Somehow I really can't see him dancing around in a costume."

"It was beautiful." Bolin pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "The clown was my favorite. I was still too young to work, so I'd sit across the street and just watch him. He's actually really good with kids."

"Somehow," Korra said slowly. "Somehow, that's not so hard to believe. Seeing as how he practically raised you, and you turned out alright."

"I turned out amazingly."

Korra laughed. "Fine, you turned out _amazingly_."

"He turned out pretty well, too, I think. He just needs someone to soften the edges."

"He's a good guy," she agreed. "Even though I might not had thought so a week ago."

"You're good for him," Bolin studied her for a moment, and she shifted awkwardly, remembering that she was Kor at the moment, not Korra.

"Maybe," she coughed. "But, uh, _Korra_ would be better."

With the way he looked at her, she would have sworn he saw right through her. It was all over. He knew her secret and she'd be kicked out of the tournament. But he didn't call her out, he just looked at her a moment longer and said, "You'll tell your sister not to break his heart?"

"I'll help you kill her if she does."

"You know I can hear you guys!" Mako's voice carried over to them, echoing in the open attic. The two looked at each other, the tension gone, and burst out laughing.

They climbed down to fall on to the couch behind him. "How's the love letter coming?" Bolin teased, poking his brother with the toe of his boot.

"Go away, Bo. I don't remember giving you a hard time over all of your sweethearts."

"Ooh sweetheart now?" Boling ruffled Mako's hair. Mako swatted him away and gathered his paper with a huff. "And that's because I had several girls over the years. You've only had your newspapers crushes."

"I swear, Bolin," he moaned.

"Okay, okay, I'll let it go. But only because I love you."

Mako made a face, but let it go. "So I counted up how much we raised, plus the amount I'll make with the rest of my shifts before the deadline, and we'll still just a little bit short."

Bolin and Korra's faces fell. "So that's it?" Bolin asked.

"No," Korra said, "I bet I could ask Asami to give us a loan."

"We can't ask something like that," Mako said immediately.

"We'll pay it back," Korra insisted. "And she wants us to compete just as much as we do. She told me she's been rooting for you guys since the very beginning. She'd be angry if we didn't ask."

"I don't know," Mako hedged. He'd tensed up as soon as Korra mentioned Asami's name, and Korra wasn't afraid to call him on it.

"Is it because it's Asami?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're not upset about us?"

"Don't be ridiculous," he sputtered. "It's because you shouldn't take advantage of her because you're dating."

"It's not taking advantage of her if she volunteers!"

"Did she?"

"No," she admitted, but didn't lose any of her fire, her hackles up. "But she will as soon as I tell her what's going on!"

"How can you know that? You've been dating for all of a day!"

"It turns out we have a lot in common," she retorted. "And she's a good person who likes to help others."

"Fine," Mako said, crossing his arms over his chest. "See what your girlfriend says."

"Don't be bitter, Mako." Korra narrowed her eyes. "It's not attractive."

He growled at her under his breath and stomped out.

"Yeah, you're really good for him," Bolin said thoughtfully, ducking and laughing as Korra made a swing at him.

* * *

"Alright team, tomorrow's the big night." Mako announced proudly as the team gathered around a table at Narook's. "Our first tournament game. The pressure's on. If we lose this one, we'll be out before we've even begun."

"Relax, Mako, we know how important it is," Bolin said.

Kor nodded, "We've put a lot of work into getting to this point. Don't worry, we won't let you down."

"I know, I know," He said, fiddling with his napkin. "I just want to go over that new play one more time. Kor, you're still a bit over-bearing, you need - "

"Mako," Bolin cut him off. "Stop. Just let us relax or we'll be too burnt out to fight tomorrow."

"Fine," he sighed, resigned.

"Hey, who's that guy over there glaring at us?" Kor asked, motioning with his eyes. "The one with the obnoxious curl."

Bolin choked on his noodles, and Mako thumped him on the back.

"That's Tahno," Mako said, his voice low as Bolin got his breath back. "He's captain of the Wolf Bats, tournament champions for the last three years. You don't want to cross him, those guys fight dirty."

Kor glared instead.

"Kor," Mako hissed, "Knock it off. If he breaks your arm before our match, I'm going to have to kill you."

"He's done it before," Bolin added, having cleared his esophagus. "Last year there was an up and coming team called the Dancing Bears, and Tahno provoked them into a fight. The earth bender broke his arm and the fire bender sprained an ankle. They didn't stand a chance and were forced to forfeit."

"I'm not afraid of him."

"That's because you're reckless and don't know any better," Mako said, tugging on his arm. "Now knock it off."

But it was too late. Tahno was making his way over, entourage in tow. Two men flanked him, clearly his teammates, and each had a couple girls hanging off them. The girls looked bored and sneered at the Fire Ferrets as the group sauntered over.

"So," Tahno drawled, his eyes raking over the three boys in the booth. "This is the team to beat this year. The Rookie Fire Ferrets."

Kor scowled at him and Mako's hand on his elbow was clearly the only thing keeping him in his seat.

"And you must be Hasook's replacement, the one the papers are all abuzz about." He looked down his nose at Kor, who rose to his feet, and his not so impressive full height.

"That's right," he said. "Scared?"

Tahno laughed loudly, his gang joining in. "Scared? Of a little pipsqueak like you? I'm more scared I'll step on you."

"Kor," Mako muttered lowly in a warning tone.

Kor yanked his arm out of Mako's grasp. Mako could see Tahno struck a nerve and Kor's temper was about to take over.

"That's some big talk for a guy with a perm," he snarked, waving his hand as Tahno's curls.

Tahno narrowed his eyes. "What do you say to a little one-on-one then?" He asked, his voice smooth as silk.

"Kor," Mako hissed one more time, "Let's go home, don't let him get to you."

"I can take him," he hissed back, he eyes never leaving Tahno's.

"You don't have to prove anything to him, and we already know you're a good fighter," he tried again, fighting to hide the panic in his voice. He knew Kor was a good fighter, but he didn't stand a chance against a seasoned - and dirty - bender like Tahno.

"I'm not doing it to prove anything," Kor insisted in a low voice. "I'm doing it because I want to."

Tahno chuckled, watching their exchange in amusement. "So what'll it be, are you in or are you are?"

"I'm in," Kor said, shoulders back.

"Let's take this outside, then," he said lazily, tilting his head.

"You're on."

They reconvened outside a few minutes later as Mako continued to try to talk Kor out of it. "You can still back out," he insisted as Kor stretched. The water bender just rolled his eyes and hopped in place a few times, warming his legs up. "You can be quiet unless you have something supportive to say."

"Really Kor," Bolin said. "Save your energy for when you face him in the ring. It'll be worth it."

"No. I'm here and I'm doing this." He turned to face Tahno.

Mako grabbed his arm one last time, spinning him back around. "Seriously, Kor. We know you're good enough. We just don't want you to get hurt."

There was something odd in Kor's eyes then, and Mako couldn't tear his gaze away.

Then Tahno spoke up behind them and the moment was gone.

"Are we doing this or are you going to flirt instead?"

Mako and Kor jumped away from each other as Tahno smirked at the pair.

Kor took up his fighting stance, fists at the ready. "Let's do this."

The two faced off, waiting for one of Tahno's girls to give the signal to start with her scarf.

The scarf dropped and Tahno attacked.

Immediately, he sprung forward, narrowly missing Kor's chin with watery uppercut. Mako flinched as he watched, but Kor jumped clear, and spun into a kick, lashing back with just as much force as Tahno gave.

Tahno blocked easily, a smile curling his lips. "You have some bite to you," he said, dodging another blow.

"Don't underestimate me," Kor growled, aiming her next attack at his legs.

He seemed more amused than scared, and clenched his fists as the water rose up around him.

Mako could see the ice crystals form, and shouted a warning, but Kor seemed to be one step ahead.

He spun again, though the ice shard caught his clothes and a sharp rip. He only scowled in frustration, clearly trying to tune out his teammates' shouting from the sidelines.

"Ice is illegal!"

"That's a dirty move, Tahno!"

But Kor didn't care. He just kept at it, firing shot after shot, until he was nothing more than a blur. Tahno was starting to struggle to keep up.

Then, he tripped.

Kor grinned in triumph as he delivered the final blow, knocking Tahno out of the ring drawn in the sand, not to mention against the brick wall with some force.

Tahno blinked, stunned, and spun to look at what had tripped him. A loose brick stood innocently, jutting out just enough to trip someone who wasn't paying enough attention.

He glared, brushing his hair back. Kor met his gaze evenly as he caught his breath.

"I hope you do make it to the finals," Tahno finally spat. "It'll be my pleasure to school you in the arena in front of all your fans."

"I think you're forgetting just who won," Kor said, head held high, not a bit afraid to taunt him a little.

Tahno just scowled and stalked off, his posse close behind.

Bolin whooped and pumped his fist in the air, clapping the other one around Kor's shoulders. "That was amazing!"

Kor laughed, a little shaky and out of breath. "Thanks."

Mako was a little stunned. He had a lot of faith in Kor as a bender, but he honestly did not expect him to win.

Kor bumped his shoulder. "You look shocked, captain. Didn't think I could do it?"

"No, of course not," Mako shied back defensively. "I'm just…that was a lucky break he tripped. That was ice he was bending."

Smirking, Kor said, "Sure. A lucky break."

Mako just shook his head, willing to let this one go. "Come on, let's just get you home."

Kor rolled her head dramatically, but started to follow. "Ow," he winced, his hands going to his side. Surprised, they came away with a smattering of blood.

"I'm bleeding," he said, amazed.

Mako sighed, but immediately went to his side. "I told you, Tahno fights dirty and that was ice he was playing with."

"But I'm bleeding," he repeated.

"Yes," Mako said patiently. "Now hold still, and let me see." He placed his hands on his side around the bleeding cut, one on his waist, the other high on his rib cage. He frowned. Kor's waist dipped in further than Mako had expected - the boy was surprisingly curved. His thumb brushed a loose scrap of fabric. He lowered his head to get a better look. "What's this?"

That seemed to snap Kor out of his daze and he jerked away from Mako's touch. "What's what?"

"That wrap you have. Do you have an injury you didn't tell us about?"

"No," he said instantly, his hand moving to cover his side. "I just...um…it's a water tribe thing. I'll see you later."

He ran off, leaving Mako confused and staring after him.

Mako turned to his brother. "Do you know what that was about?"

"No," Bolin said, though he wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Bolin," Mako warned him. "Are you hiding something?"

Bolin crumpled under pressure. "I don't know anything for sure, but… there may be something Kor's hiding. But with good reason, there's nothing you need to worry about. Trust me."

"You're making me nervous, bro."

"It'll be fine. Kor wants to be on this team more than anything, you don't need to worry."

"And you can't tell me?"

"I really can't. It has to come from him, if I'm even right."

Mako sighed heavily. "I'll trust you on this one. But I sure hope you're right."

"Don't worry. It's Kor. You really think he'd do anything to hurt us?"

Mako looked in the direction the boy had run off.

"No. I don't."

* * *

_Dun dun dun! Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews! I'm so glad you're enjoying this as much as I am! Keep the comments coming, I love to hear from you (even if I'm terrible at replying)._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Cursing under her breath, Korra hurried to treat herself before the boys made it back home. She didn't even feel Tahno's hit. Her adrenaline was still pumping; the run back to the arena probably didn't help. The cut was shallow, but needed to be cleaned, and she quickly swabbed at the cut, wincing at the sting of the disinfectant.

She was only half paying attention to her ministrations, though - what really had her brain spinning was the memory of Mako's hands on her body.

His hands on her skin sent sparks rushing through her veins, and her side still burned. Not with the pain of her wound, but the memory of his touch. She shivered again.

"Come on, Korra," She mumbled to herself. "Get your act together. They're gonna be back soon and they can't catch you."

But then some part of her brain wondered if it would be so bad if they did catch her. Bolin already suspected, she was sure. And Mako, well it would be nice not to have to hide her attraction from him.

But then he would know that Kor and Korra were one in the same, and Korra didn't know how he would take that. Would he be disgusted at her lack of feminine place, kick her off the team and not want anything more to do with her?

Korra wouldn't be able to stand that.

"It's not worth the risk," she decided, yanking her shirt back on a little too harshly. "I'll tell him, but not yet. Not while I still have a chance at the tournament. And at someone who likes me for something other than the pride of having the Avatar on his arm."

By the time the boys got back, she feigned sleep on the couch. It was late enough that no one bothered her, though she knew they didn't believe she was asleep for a second. But she appreciated the fact they knew to give her some space.

—-

The next day dawned bright and warm. Korra's muscles felt a bit stiff, so she went for a jog while the boys ate breakfast, slipping out with nothing more than a quick "good morning." They'd learned quickly not to talk to Korra after she'd just woken up. Despite her best efforts, she was still not a morning person.

The jog helped clear her mind and warm up her body. What she really wanted was to go for a swim, but it was too much of a hassle with her clothes, and she didn't dare strip down to anything less when it would be too easy to be discovered.

She did walk along the shore, letting the crash of the waves relax her mind as she struggled to focus. Her match was tonight. She didn't have time to be worrying about boys.

Despite her efforts, though, she could still feel his hands on her skin and taste his kiss on her lips.

That did her in. She had to see him as Korra one more time before the match. For good luck.

She didn't fancy running into Tenzin again as she fetched her clothes, and instead ran toward Asami's estate. She'd only been there once before - as the Avatar - and it was an intimidating place. Thankfully, all she had to do was tell the butler who answered the door that Kor was here for Asami, and she was immediately shown in.

"Hey there," Asami greeted her a few minutes later. "Sorry for the wait, I was still getting ready. You're up early."

Korra grinned. "Busy day ahead of me. Which is why I have to cut straight to the chase - do you mind if I borrow some clothes?"

"Oh?" Asami's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Is Korra making an appearance somewhere?"

"Don't say it like that," Korra rolled her eyes. "I just wanted to see Mako as me for good luck."

"Uh-huh." Asami did not look convinced. Regardless she agreed. "I'm sure I've got something for you. Why don't you wash up while I pick something out?"

"Thanks, you wouldn't believe how much I miss a hot shower," Korra said, wrinkling her nose. "I don't know how those boys do it."

Asami laughed. "Just get clean. I'll meet you in my room in fifteen minutes, okay?"

Korra took her time in the shower. It was one luxury she had sorely missed. The hot water undid her knotted muscles and she hummed with content. After fifteen minutes had passed (and then some) she reluctant dragged herself away and wrapped herself in a fluffy white towel, grabbing another for her hair.

As soon as she walked in the door, Asami guided her to a makeup table with a large mirror and said, "Now I know you don't usually wear makeup, but this is a special occasion."

Korra made a face. "I'm just wishing him good luck. I'll have to wash it all off in like an hour anyway."

"Look, do you want to make an impression or not?"

She frowned. "Fine, but don't over do it. It makes my face feel heavy."

Laughing, Asami went to work and before too long, declared Korra presentable. When she turned to study herself in the mirror, Korra was impressed.

"I still look like me," she exclaimed. "I don't look like a clown!"

"Tch, of course you don't look like a clown. Really, don't you trust me at all?"

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "It's just that when I tried it, I looked awful."

"Well I know what I'm doing," Asami said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Now come on, I want to see Mako's reaction when he sees you."

"You are not coming with me."

"Oh why not? Please?"

"It's suspicious enough as it is with Kor missing and Korra showing up. I can't tow you along, too!"

"But that's exactly why you need me! I'm the perfect alibi if they get suspicious."

Korra groaned. "You just want to see me embarrass myself."

Asami smiled. "No, I want to see you with your crush. I think it's cute."

"Cute. Right."

"Now do I get to come or what? Remember that I did your hair and makeup and loaned you the clothes."

Korra looked down at the stylish blue dress. Another thing she usually preferred to forego, but she had to admit the dress made her look _good_.

"Fine," she caved. "But no commentary, okay?"

Asami mimed zipping her lips shut. "I'll be good, promise."

Korra doubted it.

—

Her heart pounded as they reached the arena, her excuse on the tip of her tongue. It was a simple one - she'd come to wish her brother good luck, and ran into Asami on the way, who was just about to do the same thing.

"What was the plan for actually finding them?" Asami asked, eying the grand arena.

Korra bit her lip. "Umm…"

"Korra," her friend scolded gently.

"Can't we just go up to their apartment?"

"You think my coming along is suspicious but not showing up at their apartment out of the blue when you've never been there before?"

Korra sighed. "You're right."

"Will they come down here anytime soon? We could just wait for them," she suggested.

"I don't know. That could take hours."

They both thought for a moment longer before Korra groaned in frustration. "I'm the Avatar! It shouldn't be this hard to talk to one guy!"

Korra expected Asami to laugh or tease her, and turned when there was only silence. Asami's green eyes were wide open, a slight smirk on her lips.

Korra started, "Don't you dare tell me - "

"Korra?" A masculine voice called behind them.

The poor girl glared at Asami. "You could have warned me!" She hissed.

"I didn't see him!" Asami protested quickly as Korra spun to greet the owner of the voice.

"Mako, hey. I, uh, didn't see you." She clasped her hands behind her back nervously.

"Were you looking for someone?" His eyes darted to glance at Asami, who waved and smiled.

He didn't seem to know quite how to process that.

"I came to wish you guys luck and ran into Asami on the way!" Korra blurted out, uneasy with the way Mako was looking at the heiress.

She knew he'd had a crush on Asami, but she thought he was over it. He hadn't been so cold to Kor lately, and besides…he had _Korra_ now.

Mako coughed. "Oh uh, Kor's not here now. He went for a run and isn't back yet."

"That's okay," Korra said, taking a step closer. "I wanted to wish you luck, too."

She watched with pleasure as he smiled shyly. "Thanks."

"Um," she glanced back at her friend, who nodded encouragingly, "I wanted to give you something, too. For good luck."

He titled his head. "Really? Like what?"

Before she could lose her courage, she took another step forward and a deep breath, then rose up the balls of her feet to kiss him on the cheek.

Except he turned at the last second - she didn't know why, but didn't particularly care - and her lips brushed his.

It was a brief, chaste, and sweet kiss, but Korra knew her cheeks were burning as she pulled back.

"So…good luck." She smiled.

"I can't possibly lose now," he said softly, looking a bit dumbstruck.

She laughed, and allowed Asami to make their excuses and run off.

"You really are so cute," Asami said as Korra played the moment over and over again in her mind, a dopey grin on her face.

"I told you to behave."

"I was a perfect lady."

"You didn't tell me when he was standing _right behind me_."

"I told you I didn't see him!"

Korra grunted, and decided to let this one go. Besides, she had more pleasant things to think about. Like the way Mako looked when she walked away.

And the way he watched only her.

* * *

Mako couldn't believe his luck. He'd simply gone outside to see if Kor was hanging around the entrance instead of coming inside. Things had been a little tense between them since the fight with Tahno and Mako learning he had a secret, and Mako didn't want that to get in the way of their match.

Then Korra was standing there, coming to see him, and he went all tongue-tied. He meant to ask if her brother was okay, and if she'd seen him, but all thoughts of anything but her went out the window.

Sure, Asami had caused a minor blip, but it was really more of the realization that he didn't want her anymore. He only wanted the blue-eyed girl standing before him.

And then Korra kissed him - for good luck, she claimed. Well, if there was any better luck than a kiss from the Avatar, he didn't know what it was.

His lips tingled with the memory of her sea-chapped touch and he floated up the stairs to the attic.

"Did you find him?" Bolin asked as he entered.

"Find who?" Mako asked, furrowing his eyebrow in confusion. Then he remembered his original purpose in leaving. "Oh, Kor. No I didn't see him."

"He's been gone for a long time. I hope nothing happened." Bolin scratched Pabu's head, which was nuzzling his owner's neck in a show a reassurance.

"I'm pretty sure he can take care of himself."

"What if Tahno and his crew decide they want a rematch and corner him?" Bolin worried.

Mako shook his head. "They've got a game today, too. They wouldn't risk wearing themselves out so close to the match."

That seemed to calm his brother a little. "Still," Bolin said. "I wonder what he's up to."

"Look, if he's not back soon, I'll go looking for him, okay?" Mako said. "I want to make sure he's not out looking for trouble either."

Another hour passed and Mako was starting to worry. The kid had a hot temper and it was all to easy to imagine all the different ways he could get himself in trouble.

He was just about to leave when he heard footsteps on the stairs and Kor burst into the attic.

"Where have you been?" Mako questioned immediately.

Kor held out a hand, signaling for him to wait while he caught his breath. After a moment, he said, "Sorry, I got lost. I still don't know my way around this part of the city very well."

Mako sent Bolin a significant look saying that said '_See? Nothing to worry about.'_

Bolin shrugged, and went back to his work. Even if he wasn't formally in school, Mako still gave his little brother writing homework. Usually the only time Bolin had to complete it was on game days when Mako insisted they rest before the match.

"I didn't make you worry about me, did I?" Korra looked from face to face, and immediately looked guilty.

"Of course not," Mako hurried to say, before Bolin could say anything. "We just get nervous when we don't know where the last member of our team is."

She scowled at him, guilty expression gone. "I thought we were past that. I'm not going to abandon you guys."

"I didn't mean it like that," Mako sighed. "It's an old habit. We can't help but worry about being left behind."

A tense silence filled the warm attic as the three team members realized what Mako had just said.

First, he'd admitted a fear that he and Bolin had shared since their parents died.

Secondly, he'd admitted that fear to Kor, who he was still occaissionally hostile towards.

And thirdly, he actually looked like the embarrassed teenager he was instead of the young man too old for his age.

"Sorry," Kor whispered, breaking the silence and looked at his feet. Then he raised his eyes, meeting Mako's squarely. "I'm not leaving you, though."

Mako swallowed.

"Let's get some lunch," he said finally. "My treat."

—

As they ate their traditional meal of yakitori and sweet pork buns, Mako was stuck by the thought that he should probably tell Kor he'd kissed his sister. Mako would want to know if their roles were reversed, and Kor was bound to find out sooner or later.

"Kor," he began as soon as Bolin wandered off to find something to drink. He wanted a little bit a privacy. He also knew Bolin would tease him relentlessly.

"Mako," he replied, a note of teasing in his serious response.

"I saw your sister again this morning."

"Oh?"

Mako watched Kor carefully as he spoke. "And she might have um, kissed me. We kissed. Her and I. I kissed your sister."

Kor was clearly struggling to keep a straight face. "And how does that make you feel?"

Mako rolled his eyes. "Look, I just wanted to tell you, okay?"

"Okay, okay, I couldn't help myself. So you kissed. You like her?"

"I don't know yet," Mako confessed. Judging by the scowl on Kor's face, that was the wrong answer. "I mean, obviously _yes_ I like her. I don't go around kissing just anybody. She was kind of my…first kiss…" he trailed off into a mumble.

"What?" Kor exclaimed, slapping his hands on the table. "No way."

Mako quickly looked to see if Bolin was within earshot. "Look, I was too busy taking care of my brother to bother with girls. I just wasn't interested and had other things on my mind. Besides, I like to think kisses still mean something special. I didn't want to waste my first one."

"I don't believe you."

"Why is that so hard to believe?"

"You're a romantic," Kor mused, tapping the skewer of his eaten yakitori against his bottom lip. "I never would have guessed."

"I am not," Mako said weakly, knowing full well that he was fighting a losing battle. Bolin called him a hopeless romantic all the time, but those cases were more about dramatic pro-bending victories or being long-lost princes or other frivolities.

"You are," Kor said triumphantly, knowing full well he'd already won. "I'm impressed though," he said impishly, and Mako knew he wasn't going to like what was about to follow.

"What are you impressed with?" He asked flatly.

"You were a good kisser for some one with no experience."

"What?!" Mako flustered. "How did you - did Korra already, I mean, did Korra tell you that?!"

Kor grinned like the cat in the cream. "Maybe. I don't know if either of us mentioned before, but we're very close. There are no secrets between us."

Mako groaned, wanting to pound his head against the table.

"Don't worry," Kor assured him. "She only had good things to say about you. I think it's pretty safe to say she likes you, too."

That gave Mako some hope. He'd known she had to be at least a little interested, what with the good luck kiss, but it was nice to have some confirmation.

"When did you even have time to see her?" He asked, resigned.

"Oh, she was at Asami's when I stopped by this morning."

"What were you doing at Asami's? Wait, nevermind, that's none of my business," he sighed.

"It's okay. I was just making sure everything went through with the entrance fee. And I was right, by the way. She said she would have killed you if we didn't ask her for help." Kor grinned.

"I have a feeling you're used to being right about most things." Mako groaned.

Kor's grin widened.

—

They were geared up and ready to enter the ring of their first tournament match. Mako's heart pounded against his ribcage and he took a deep breath, telling himself it was just like any other match and there was no reason to be nervous.

Of course, he knew that was a total lie and it did nothing to calm his nerves.

The crowd roared as the teams before them competed, two evenly matched teams that he didn't know much about. He'd have to look more into the winner after their match.

Assuming the Fire Fire Ferrets would advance to the next round, that is.

"Breath, Mako," Kor's amused voice said at his left side. "You look like you're going to pass out."

"I am not. I'm just focussing."

Kor rolled his eyes, but let it pass.

"Alright team, huddle up," Mako ordered. "This is a big match, but it's still just a match. We can do this. We've grown a lot as a team and I know we're _all _good enough. So let's do this!"

They cheered and took their places.

"Now presenting, in their debut tournament match," the announcer called out, "the Fire Ferrets!"

The crowd's resulting roar was deafening, louder than Mako had expected. It seemed they had gained a few more fans than they'd expected.

"And their opponents, the Platypus Bears!"

More excited cries filled the arena and the match was underway.

It was clear the Fire Ferrets' training had been well worth it. The Platypus Bears didn't stand a chance.

"Folks, I can't believe it!" The announcer shouted to be heard. "But we have a one-round knock-out!"

Mako couldn't believe it either, but he, Bolin, and Kor were alone in the ring as the Platypus Bears treaded water below. He let himself be pulled into a team hug instigated by Kor, as his veins pounded with adrenaline.

"We did it," Kor shouted, beaming with pride, his voice nearly downed out by the crowds.

"We did it!" Bolin confirmed, his grip tight around their shoulders.

"We did it." Mako finally broke through his shock to return Kor's bright smile, attributing the fluttering in his stomach to the victory, and not to the way Kor looked at him.

* * *

_Thanks for the great reviews, keep them coming! I love to hear from you! Seriously the best part of my week. I'll see you next week! _


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"Kor?"

Korra looked at Mako's expectant - and surprisingly nervous looking - face. "Yes?"

"Do you think you could ask your sister something for me?"

That piqued her interest. "What's that?"

"I want to take her on an actual date," he said, his hands fiddling with the red scarf that always hung around his neck.

"Oh?" Korra tried to keep the excitement from her face, as well as the grin.

"Yeah, I mean, I've seen her a few times now but I want to take her on a proper date. What would she like? Would she even want to go with me?"

She laughed, finding his nervous ramblings adorable. It was a side she was still unused to seeing, though it definitely came out more when she was Korra. Mako was kind of still hilariously bad at talking to girls.

"I'm sure she love anything you plan. Do you want to ask her yourself or should I just give her a time and place to meet you?"

Mako frowned. "I planned to pick her up at the air temple."

Korra bit her lip. There was no way that was going to happen. "Her teachers are pretty strict. Dating is kind of off limits while she's still in training."

Mako's face fell.

"But she'd still love to go with you," Korra rushed to say. "She doesn't care for rules any more than I do."

"You're sure?"

"Trust me. She'd love to."

Mako rubbed the back of his head. "Okay. Alright. How about Monday for dinner? Our next match is Tuesday, and thanks to Asami's sponsorship, I don't have to work again until the tournament is over."

"Sounds perfect. I'll be sure to tell her."

"And I'll let you know where she should meet me once I get it figured out," he continued. "I just want to get everything planned. It's not everyday I get a date with the Avatar."

Korra gave him the stinkeye. "You better not just be interested in her because she's the Avatar."

"What? No, of course not," Mako said quickly. "I just meant…there's even more pressure to impress her. I'm sure she's met all sorts of handsome guys trying to win her over."

Korra snorted. "Not so much."

"No foreign ambassadors stealing her heart or handsome young sparring partners for her?"

"Not in the slightest. All those ambassadors are old and boring, and she was trained alone or with older masters. I think you have a slightly romanticized view of who the Avatar actually is and what she does."

"So what does she do?"

"Not a whole lot. She's not allowed to do any fighting, so all her training is just for show. She's not allowed to voice her opinion, so in matters of state she just sits and tries not to strangle anyone when she disagrees with the way things are going. She's mostly just for show these days."

"That's kind of depressing," Mako studied her. "She told you all that?"

"Yeah, we don't have many secrets between the two of us." Korra grinned to herself.

"It's nice to have a sibling you're close to," Mako said. "I don't know what I'd have done without Bolin growing up."

Korra felt a sudden pang in her chest. It would have been nice to have a sibling growing up. It would have been nice to have someone to talk with.

She leaned back as a sudden wave of homesickness washed over her. She missed Naga, the closest thing to a sibling she had.

Mako noticed she'd grown quiet. "Something wrong?"

She sighed. "I missed my polar bear dog, Naga. She's mine and Korra's best friend."

Mako gave her a sympathetic look. "When was the last time you saw her?"

"Just before I came to live here."

"That's not so long."

"It feels like it's been months."

He gave her a lopsided grin. "It does feel like it's been a long time."

Korra felt her heart start to pound. She pinched herself to make sure she didn't do anything stupid. Like try to kiss him.

"I don't know if I ever said thanks for taking me in," she said softly, trying to diffuse the tension.

"I'm glad we did, even if I didn't at first."

"If?"

"Okay, I definitely didn't want to at first. But like I said, I'm glad we did. You've become a good friend." His smile was warm, and showed more in his eyes than on his lips.

"Thanks." Korra didn't know what to say. "You, too. And Bolin."

Mako chuckled.

"I should get going. Don't forget to ask Korra, okay?"

"I'll do it as soon as I can."

He waved farewell and Korra immediately ran to the phone in the arena lobby.

"Asami, I need to talk to you."

—

"So," Asami said as soon as Korra entered her room. Korra threw herself on to the bed. "What's the big emergency?"

"I need to tell Mako what's going on."

"So tell him."

"It's not that simple anymore," she moaned. "He's wanting to take Korra on a date, and he told me he considers Kor to be a good friend now. I feel like I'm betraying him."

"Well, you are lying to him."

"Asami."

"Well, you _are_."

Korra groaned again, burrowing her face in the pillows. "You're not helping," she said, her voice muffled from the mountain of pillows.

"What do you want me to say?"

"I want advice. Do I tell him and risk ruining everything or do I put it off and enjoy this while I can?"

"I feel like those choices are somewhat biased."

"I know."

"You really should tell him," Asami said seriously. "It's only going to get worse the longer you put it off."

"I know."

"And they're not going to hate you for it."

"You don't know that."

"Korra," Asami laid a hand on her arm. "Think about those boys. Do you really think they could ever hate you for anything?"

Korra remembered their fear of abandonment and slowly shook her head. "I can't do it."

"You're going to have to eventually. What if they find out some other way?"

"I know, I know." Korra said, sounding more frustrated by the minute. "This just isn't what I thought would happen. I thought I would just join the team and fight. I didn't expect to fall in love with one of my teammates!"

Asami stared at her with wide eyes.

Korra stared back with equally wide eyes.

"Did you just…" Asami started to ask.

"No."

"Are you sure? Because I thought I heard you say - "

"No, you didn't hear anything," Korra insisted.

"Korra," Asami began, "Are you in love with him?"

Korra looked at her friend pitifully. "Maybe?"

"You just met him."

"Curse of the Avatar. We kind of just know."

"Really?"

"Really. I didn't know what it was exactly when I first met him, but I feel this connection to him that I can't describe. Plus he's, you know, amazing."

Asami smiled. "Amazing?"

"He's such a good guy, and an amazing brother to Bolin. I thought he was a jerk at first, but he's actually just really… uncomfortable around people. He's sweet and a romantic, not to mention really good looking and an amazing bender."

"Look at you, you're completely smitten," Asami laughed.

Korra blushed. "I didn't want to be. It just… happened."

"I know. It does complicate things a bit, doesn't it?"

"Just a bit." She bit her lip, her expression serious again. "And I will tell him. After the tournament's over. It's for the best. What he doesn't know can't hurt him, and I don't want to risk him losing a match because of me. He's worked too hard."

"If that's what you think is best."

"It is."

"Okay."

"Okay."

A moment passed.

"Will you do my makeup again?"

Asami laughed. "I'd have to hurt you if you didn't ask."

* * *

Mako paced restlessly, rubbing his sweaty hands on his trousers. Korra was running late.

Kor had assured him over and over again that she was excited and looking forward to this date, but then he'd run off. He was nowhere to be found now that Mako needed his reassurance again.

Just when Mako was about to give up hope, Korra came dashing around the corner calling, "Sorry! I know I'm late!" She came to a stop right in front of him, pausing a moment to catch her breath. "Sorry. I lost track of time."

Mako's nervousness doubled at the sight of her. She still bore an incredible resemblance to her brother, but her long hair was down and slightly wavy, framing her face. She wore light makeup that brightened her eyes and lengthened her lashes, not to mention a distracting shade of lipstick. She wore a simple deep blue dress that hugged her body closely, and made it nearly impossible not to notice her femininity.

"You look beautiful," he blurted out, mentally kicking himself immediately after for not even saying hello first.

But she didn't seem to mind. A light pink touched her cheeks as she thanked him. "You don't look bad yourself."

Mako looked down at his much less impressive outfit. He'd spent extra time on his hair and washing his clothes, but they were still as shabby as ever.

"Shall we go?" He asked, anxious to put his plan into action.

"Of course."

He held out his arm to her, like a proper gentleman, which she took with a shy smile.

Their first stop was the park, where Mako led Korra through his old haunts.

"This was where Bolin got attacked by some turtle ducks when he was eight."

"What did he do to make them angry?"

"What makes you think he did something?"

"Because I know turtle ducks," she said with a sly smile.

Mako chuckled, feeling more at ease with her as the minutes flew by. "He might have thrown a loaf of bread too hard in their direction. And then run after them. He wanted to pet them. They didn't want to be pet."

Korra laughed freely and Mako admired her.

"You know," he said, "You remind me so much of Kor it's uncanny."

She looked at him in alarm. "What do you mean?"

"You have so many of the same mannerisms. Even your laugh is the same."

"We are siblings."

"I know. It'd be interesting to see if Bolin and I are more alike than we think. You'll have to tell us after you get to know him better. Or I guess I could ask Kor. He knows us both pretty well."

"He told me a bit," Korra began after a moment's hesitation. "You both have that little duck tail at the back of your head. You know, the way your hair sticks up?'

He brushed his hand over it self-consciously.

Korra laughed, "Don't worry, I think it's cute."

Mako blushed. "What else?"

She studied him thoughtfully. "You both have a deep respect for the other. You have a strong sense of loyalty that I - we've - never seen before."

"Surely we're not that unusual."

She shrugged. "Maybe not, but it is for me."

He didn't know what to say, and they walked in silence for a few minutes, watching the turtle ducks swim around in the fountains.

A clock sounded somewhere in the city, and Mako counted the chimes.

Korra glanced over at him. "Where's the next stop, captain?"

"Dinner."

—-

Mako led the way to down to the heart of the city, near the train station where the vendors set up stalls for food and goods. He knew it probably wasn't her usual fare, but it was the best he could think of. He hoped that if he took her somewhere personal to him, it would make up for the fact that he couldn't afford a fancy restaurant.

"I thought you probably haven't had a chance to have a lot of city food, so we could try a few different places," he said bashfully.

Her eyes lit up, though, and he released the breath he was holding. "That sounds amazing! Where to first?"

"Have you ever tried fire flakes?" He asked with a sly grin.

She shook her head, bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation. "Sounds exciting."

They weaved through the busy street, stopping at a red-roofed stall run by a tall, wiry old man. The man greeted Mako warmly, "Hey there, little dragon. Long time no see!" He reached over to give him a friendly slap on the back. "And you've got a lady dragon with you! You lucky little fire-breather."

Korra watched Mako squirm in amusement.

"Come on, Liang, I'm taller than you now."

Liang chuckled, "You should have seen him when he was yay-high," he said to Korra, hold a hand out about waist-high. "He came up to my stall with those bright gold eyes and just stared for hours as people came and went. Eventually I gave him a bag and he gobbled up a whole fistful all at once." He paused for dramatic effect, a twinkle in his eye. "My flakes must have a been a bit spicier than he was used to, because he coughed out fire and caught my stall on fire!"

"No!" Korra exclaimed, laughing and look to Mako to see his reaction.

Mako shook his head good-naturedly. "I came back to work for weeks to pay for the damage."

"And kept sneaking handfuls until you built up a tolerance. I bet you could eat a whole bag right now and not feel a thing."

"How about it?" Mako held out a bag to Korra. "Willing to give it a shot."

She raised her eyebrows. "Of course. Bring it on."

"I'm still holding you responsible, little dragon," Liang interjected.

"I can hold my own," Korra said, meeting Mako's eyes, the challenge bright in her expression.

"If you insist," he shook the packet teasingly.

Not looking away, she reached in, scooped up a healthy handful, and popped it in her mouth.

"Well?" Mako asked with a slight smirk.

Her eyes started to water, but she swallowed defiantly. He watched her throat, then his eyes flickered back to hers, waiting for her reaction.

She shivered ever so slightly, squeezing her eyes shut, coughed, then smiled and reopened her eyes.

"It's good," she said with a grin.

"No fire breathing?"

"Sorry." Her voice did sound a bit strained, though.

He held back a laugh, though he must not have done a very good job because Korra elbowed him and narrowed her eyes. "I really don't think you're in a position to laugh at me, _little dragon_," she said pointedly, a teasing gleam in her cool blue eyes.

"You'd do well to keep that one around," Liam spoke up, and the two teens startled. They'd forgotten he was still there. "I like her."

Mako fought the blush in his cheeks as he thought, 'So do I' and coughed.

"Alright, what's next?"

Mako lead her though stall after stall of snacks and treats and drinks, each owner greeting him by name - or nickname - and sharing an amusing (and often embarrassing) childhood story.

The last stop was dessert, mochi and soft cream.

"I don't know if I can eat another bite," Korra rubbed her belly dramatically. "Everything has been so good!"

"I'm glad you've liked it all," Mako said thankfully. "And if you really are full, we can get dessert another time."

"No way, bring it on," she declared. "There is always room for dessert."

Mako laughed.

"So this one doesn't have yet another embarrassing story about me," he began.

"Shame," Korra teased. "I liked the stories. I never would have guessed you were such a softie otherwise."

Mako rolled his eyes. "I should say now that I didn't plan for those stories. And I'm going to kill Wei Shin for telling you about the fruit tarts."

"Aw, I thought it was sweet." She bumped her shoulder against his. "I don't think many kids would give up their treat to someone they didn't even know."

He grunted, but subtly shifted to wrap his arm around her waist, watching her reaction carefully.

He was rewarded with a shy smile and pink cheeks.

"But as I was saying," he continued, "The man I knew growing up doesn't work here anymore, so no more stories for you."

She curled into his hold and smiled up at him. "I suppose I can forgive that. You did mention dessert."

As much as he hated to let go of her, he left her sitting on the patio while he went up to the counter to order a large bowl of mochi and soft cream. When he returned with the treat in hand, Korra's eyes widened in appreciation.

"I've had mochi before, but not like this," she murmured, admiring the little balls topped with cream.

"They have chocolate on the inside, too," Mako pointed out.

"Give me a spoon," she demanded, holding out her hand expectantly. Mako laughed and obliged, grinned as she took her first bite.

"It's cold," she mumbled around a mouthful of the sweet treat, shuddering.

"It's soft cream, of course it's cold."

"It's good, though," she took another large bite.

"Careful, or you'll give yourself a headache," he warned.

She scoffed, and took another bite, wincing slightly as the cold ache in her temple set in, as Mako knew it would.

"Ow," she whimpered, rubbed her forehead vigorously.

Chuckling, Mako reached over, brushed her hair to the side and massaged gently with his warm fingers.

Korra immediately melted into his touch, sighing in pleasure.

"Ooh, keep doing that," she hummed.

Mako's heart raced, and did as she said, gently rubbing his thumb in a circular motion against her temples. She snuck in another bite, balancing the cold of the food with the heat of his skin.

"Leave some for me," he teased, leaning back and reaching for his own spoon, grabbing his first bite. It really was delicious.

"I wish you could feed me everyday," she said.

"I'll cook for you next time," he promised.

She smiled at the mention of next time. "And he cooks, too," she pretended to swoon.

"I like to keep some tricks up my sleeves," he shrugged.

"And I plan to discover every last one."

He liked the sound of that.

—

Mako was sure to get her to the ferry before the last boat left, and wanted to accompany her to the island, but Korra insisted he didn't have to.

"I like our goodbyes here," she said, the memory of her impulsive kiss clearly on both their minds. "If we _have_ to have goodbyes," she amended, cheeks pink.

Mako felt like a grinning fool, but he didn't care. Standing in front of her, he twined his fingers through hers, looking down at her nervously.

She looked up at him expectantly, and they both knew another kiss was inevitable. Refusing to let Korra to get the better of him again, Mako acted before he could over-think it, and pressed a warm kiss to her lips.

Using their clasped hands for leverage, Korra pushed herself up to return the kiss with equal enthusiasm. Mako nearly stumbled back from the force of it, but quickly righted himself, his blood thrumming through his body.

The warning horn for the ferry sounded, and Mako started to pull away, but Korra wasn't ready to let him go just yet. With an impish grin and a squeeze of their hands, she placed a few more sweet kissed before releasing him, at the corners of his mouth, and just under his jawline as she lowered herself and her feet were flat on the ground again.

"I'll see you again soon?" She searched his eyes for her answer.

"As soon as possible," he promised, squeezing her hands one final time before releasing them. "Send word with your brother if you ever have a spare moment."

She blinked, then nodded. "I'll try."

"Wish me luck in the next match?"

With one hand on his shoulder, she gave him one last kiss on the cheek. "All the luck in the world."

The horn blasted again, and Mako watched as Korra boarded in a hurry, glancing over her shoulder at him and smiling.

He watched until the boat disappeared into the fog of the bay at twilight, then turned home, whistling the whole way back.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Korra was floating on Cloud Nine by the time she fell onto the couch. A part of her worried that Mako would question why she got back to the apartment so late, but he seemed too distracted to even notice her entrance. It was surprisingly easy to walk in, grab her things to wash up downstairs, and then go straight to bed.

She could hear him up in his loft, though, shuffling what sounded like papers around. Newspapers?

She suppressed a giddy grin at the thought of him digging out the collection of Avatar clippings Bolin claimed he had. That _had_ to mean he'd enjoyed their date at least as much as she had.

She still felt butterflies at the memory of his hand around her waist or on her forehead, and at the gentle way he looked at her, and at the way his cheeks burned whenever another character from his past thought of another story to tell.

It had easily been better than she'd ever hoped.

Once the nerves had worn off, Mako laughed freely and often. He teased her. He adored her.

It was honestly too good to be true.

And that hard fact reared its ugly head when he'd mentioned her "brother" as they were parting ways.

He trusted her and she was lying to him. It tore at her gut, and she knew she had to tell him soon - before the tournament was over and before they got more involved than they already were. She resolved to herself with a heavy heart to not kiss him again until he knew. As much as she knew she would want to.

Tonight, though, she would go to sleep with dreams of his golden eyes smiling at her, of his sweet, romantic side, and - most of all - of his goodbye kiss.

—

Korra pushed herself extra hard that week, throwing all her frustrations and confusion and pent-up energy into her training. If she was going to tell them who she really was, she wasn't about to let them think she was weak. And if they lost their match, the last thing she wanted was for it to be her fault.

Mako noticed, of course.

"You're pushing yourself too hard," he finally said, confronting her after a rigorous session with the targets. She'd spent over an hour shooting them without stopping.

"I'm fine," she said, her voice kurt as she gulped down water from her bottle.

He sighed. "You know you don't have to prove you're strong enough anymore. Bolin and I both know you're good enough to be here."

She paused, swallowing and lowering the water bottle. "I know," she said quietly.

"Then what are you doing?"

"I'm still proving it to myself."

He hesitated before responding. "I can't do anything about that. But I can tell you to take a break, as team captain."

"I said I'm fine."

"And I said take a break. I'm kicking you out of here," he crossed his arms, a stern but concerned look on his face.

Korra gaped at him. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. You're going to hurt yourself, and then where would we all be?"

"I know my limits!"

His voice rose in agitation. "And I know what's best for my team!"

"You know what? Fine! Fine. Just… fine. I don't need this right now."

Scowling, she grabbed her things and stomped out, letting the door slam behind her.

She stormed up the stairs, hoping to find refuge in the boys' apartment while they were out. Bolin had picked up an odd job doing deliveries, taking Pabu with him, and Mako was hopefully going to stay down in the training room a while longer.

Tossing her things in a corner, she fell onto the couch and stared up at the ceiling. It didn't offer any consolation, and restlessly she rose to pace the floor.

It grew stuffy, and she opened a window, pausing to look at the island she used to call home. Oddly, her heart constricted and she realized she missed it. Mostly she missed her polar bear dog Naga, but she also missed how simple her life had been. No boys messing with her heart, no secrets, no lies.

She leaned against the window frame, listening to the soft hush of the ocean's waves.

It was there Mako found her.

She heard him enter, the floorboards creaking under his weight, and had hoped he'd leave her alone. She didn't want to hear any more of his scolding.

"Kor?"

No such luck, it seemed.

She didn't respond, but he continued on anyway. "I wanted to say…I'm sorry for yelling at you downstairs. I know you're under a lot of pressure and yelling isn't helping."

Korra turned to face him, her face still open and vulnerable from her sudden homesickness.

Mako took a step forward. "Hey, is something wrong?"

Her expression smoothed out, guarded again. "I… I just miss Naga."

"Who's Naga?"

"My best friend," she gave him a wry smile. "And my pet polar bear dog."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"Right before I came to live here. I've never been away from her for so long."

"Can't you go visit her?"

Korra gave him a meaningful look. "I'm not exactly welcomed on the island right now."

"Oh," he frowned, thinking. "Can your sister bring her here?"

Korra barked out a laugh at the thought of the huge dog in their little attic. "No. She's not allowed in the city anymore. We've had a few…instances. People tend to be scared of her."

Mako wasn't going to let that deter him, though. "What if Korra brought her somewhere on the island away from the temple?"

Because _Korra _was sitting right in front of him. "Um, I don't know…"

"I could tell her where to bring Naga, and then you could meet up with us."

Korra scrambled to think of an excuse and came up short. "I, uh, would still have to get there by ferry. They could still see me."

Mako waved that aside, no bothering to ask who 'they' were. "You're a waterbender and I'm sure you've swum it before. You showed up here soaking wet that first day."

He had her. "It's not worth the risk," she tried weakly.

"It is if it'll get your spirits back up. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

He could find out that Korra and Kor were the same person. "I'm sure I'd find a way to make a total disaster out of it."

"Well I'm going to ask Korra when I see her next, okay? Nobody should be away from their best friend for so long."

As irritated as Korra was with him for making her life more difficult than it needed to be right now, she appreciated his thoughtfulness. She offered him a weak smile. "Thanks, I guess."

"Don't mention it. Now come on, let's go meet Bolin for lunch. He always gets free dumplings when he works this job."

—-

Korra fretted over Mako's plan to get her and Naga together all week. He was like a rat dog with a bone and refused to let it go. When the two of them met for tea - with her as Korra - it was all he would talk about. She tried to dissuade him by telling him Naga only listened to Kor, and she'd would likely get hurt if anyone else tried to move her.

Finally, she just asked, "Mako, why is this so important to you?"

If she wasn't mistaken, his cheeks turned pink as he stammered a reply. "I…um…I just, I don't know, I'm worried about him. I know what it's like to be alone…and he doesn't deserve that."

Korra smiled warmly, and reached out to touch his hand. "You're a really good friend, you know that?"

"I'm just doing what anyone else would do," he mumbled, embarrassed.

"That's the thing," she said stubbornly, but gently, "No one else has."

"I'll find a way," he said, convinced of a nothing but success. "Somehow."

She grinned. "If anyone can, I'm sure it would be you. And don't feel bad, I know Kor appreciates the fact that you're trying, even if you don't manage to pull it off."

—

The Fire Ferrets met their next match with excitement and nervous anticipation. The papers predicted a match that no one should miss, as the Boarcupines were an older, and far more experienced team.

"Alright, team," Mako said as they huddled together in the waiting room. "This won't be an easy match, but we've got this. We're strong and we're good. Just don't get cocky and we can win this."

Minutes later, the bell rang and they were off. The first round went to the Boarcupines, but the Fire Ferrets came back with a vengeance in the second.

Then the third. Both teams were desperate for the win, and neither was going to give up without a fight.

Dodging the discs hurtling towards her, Korra didn't see the firebender sneak into the perfect position to blindside her. His flames shot her back zone after zone, a disc hitting her hard in the gut, followed by a flame only barely under the legal limit.

Even as Korra was falling into the drink, she could hear Mako's roar as flames blinded her in the split second before she went underwater. She burst through the surface, gulping down air and clutching her side in pain.

As she pulling herself to the platform, her vision swam and she swayed on her feet. Looking down at her hand, she saw the blood. This was a bad one.

Somehow she made it back in the ring once the round ended, and though Bolin shot her a quick look to see if she was okay, Mako refused to look at her. He was glaring at the firebender who blasted her.

The referee stepped between the two teams, throwing the coin in the air and catching it neatly. "The Fire Ferrets win the coin toss. Which element do you choose?"

"I've got this one."

Korra looked to her right as Mako stepped forward, every line his face tight with rage.

As she held her hand to her injured side, she waited with baited breath for the tie-breaker to begin.

* * *

He didn't know why, but Mako could barely see straight. All he could see was Kor falling to the water below, crying out as he clutched his side, and emerging with a bloody cut on his side, replaying over and over in his mind.

He could feel the sweat drip down the back of his neck as he took his place in the center of the ring. The older Boarcupine stepped forward as well, a predatory grin on his face.

"Worried about your little boyfriend?" He taunted, lazily sliding into position.

Mako refused to respond, waiting only for the bell to give him the freedom to attack, his blood pounding in his ears.

It rang and he exploded.

He immediately went on the offensive, bypassing his usual strategy of letting his opponent wear himself out first. Instead, he let loose a flurry of punches, each punctuated with a hot fireball and each forcing the Boarcupine back until he was teetering on the edge.

Mako didn't give him any opening, and with one final blast, knocked him out of the ring where he landed flat on his back.

Breathing heavily, Mako shot him a glare. "Don't mess with my teammates."

The other fire bender scowled but his reply was drowned out by the announcer's voice proclaiming the Fire Ferrets the victors.

Mako didn't care, though, he leapt out of the ring down to Kor's side, wrapping an arm around his waist and propping him up. "Let's get you to a medic," he said urgently.

"I'm fine," Kor protested weakly, "I can heal myself. I just need to sit down."

"We can get a medic," Bolin added, "We don't don't want you to overwork yourself."

"No, I don't like medics," Kor insisted. "I can do it myself."

He stumbled a bit, and Mako decided it wasn't worth arguing over. "Fine, you can do it yourself, just wait until we get upstairs."

He all but carried Kor up the stairs in his hurry to get him settled. Kor's wound was still bleeding, and it was making him nervous. He placed Kor on the couch and instructed Bolin to get the first aid supplies. Bolin hurried to obey, and Mako knelt beside Kor.

"Come on, let's get your shirt off," he said gently, tugging at the hem.

"No!" He protested, jerking away.

"Come on, Kor, we need to stop the bleeding." He tried to sound patient, but wasn't sure how much he succeeded.

"I can do, just leave me alone."

Bolin walked in at that moment, kit in hand, which Mako demanded immediately. He dug around until he found a bottle, and rattled two pills into his hand. He grabbed Kor's nearby water bottle as Bolin knelt beside him.

"Here, take this," He instructed firmly, propping Kor's head up and holding the bottle to his lips. Amazingly, Kor took the pills, coughing a little as he swallowed.

"What's that?"

"Pain-killers," Mako said distractedly, pouring some disinfectant on some clean rags. "Now relax."

Bolin eyed the bottle, "Mako, those weren't - "

"Shush," Mako said harshly, as Kor's eyelids drooped shut. "I know."

Kor was out within minutes.

"Help me, Bo," Mako said, trying to move Kor's shirt out of the way.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea…"

Mako looked at his brother sharply. "Why not?"

Bolin sighed. "I really shouldn't -"

"He's _bleeding_, Bolin! If you're not going to help me, then leave!"

With one last sad look at Kor, Bolin got to his feet, and left.

Mako stared at his retreating back in disbelief.

"Whatever," he muttered to himself, turning back to Kor. His uniform was already torn down one side, and Mako struggled to get Kor's arms out of the uniform. His shirt underneath was soaked with dark red blood and it turned Mako's stomach to see. The shirt was also torn, and Mako didn't have any qualms about tearing it the rest of the way so it was easier to remove. Then all that covered Kor's torso was that tightly wound bandage. Too worried to care about Kor's strange, secret water tribe customs, Mako grabbed a pair of scissors and cut it loose.

The strips fell away and Mako's eyes bulged.

Kor had breasts.

Kor was a girl.

Kor was _Korra_.

His head spun and he grabbed a clean towel to cover her, his face bright red and his mind reeling. It couldn't be…but that was undeniable proof in front of him. And the fact that he'd never seen the two of them together. And how similar they looked. And a million other things that finally clicked into place.

He understood why Bolin left - he'd known.

And hadn't told him.

Burning with the feeling of betrayal, Mako stuggled to push his emotion to one side as Kor's - Korra's - wound still bled sluggishly.

He worked quickly, washing away the dried blood and applying medicine, taping gauze and doing everything he could to make her feel more comfortable. Then he found a clean tank top and pulled it on her, refusing to let his gaze fall below her neck.

He systemically put everything away, and left the apartment without looking back.

It was as _he'd_ been the one with his chest torn open.

—-

Bolin clearly knew what had happened as soon as his laid eyes on his brother.

"Mako," he began in a rush, "I-"

"I don't wanna hear it, Bolin."

"But-"

"No. Go watch over her, I'm need to clear my head."

"So it's true."

Mako shot him an incredulous look. "Like you didn't know."

"I suspected, but no, I didn't know for sure. I thought she would tell us when she was ready."

"Well, it's too late for that."

"Don't be too mad her her," Bolin begged, "She didn't mean to -"

"I don't care what she didn't mean to do right now." Mako interrupted. "Just go watch over her, okay? I don't know when I'll be back."

He stormed off without waiting for a response.

He couldn't believe Korra was capable of this kind of betrayal. He also couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Kor and Korra were the same person. He'd kissed Korra. He'd kissed his teammate.

His teammate was the Avatar. He groaned aloud at that realization. It was bad enough to have a girl on the team, but the Avatar? There was no way the tournament higher-ups would let that slide. Maybe they would have had a chance if Korra remained in disguise and quietly disappeared after the tournament, but this… there was no way.

Tugging at his hair, his feet pounded the cobblestone below him as he wandered the streets of Republic City. His heart hurt, like it had been shattered and splintered, each shard only stabbing him again.

His only consolation was that this explained the way he'd begun to feel about Kor. If he was falling in love with Korra, it was only logical that he would -

He stopped short.

He'd been falling in love with Korra.

If he wasn't already there. And if the way his inside were being torn apart were any indication, he'd been perilously close.

Groaning, he came to a stop, bending over and breathing heavily. He realized people were staring and him, probably thanks to the fact he hadn't even bother to change out of his uniform.

"Mako? Is that you?"

As the high voice called out to him, he groaned again. Asami Sato was the last person he wanted to see right now.

"Asami," he straightened.

"Is everything okay?" She looked concerned.

He narrowed his eyes at her. Did she know, too? "Korra got hurt in the match."

"I know, I saw. Is she okay?"

Mako waited, and Asami's words echoed back to her and sunk in. She'd known.

"You were in on this, too?" He asked, his hurt lashing out at her.

"Mako, you don't understand, she just wanted to prove herself."

"Don't tell me what I don't understand. She lied - to all of us!"

Asami looked stricken, then turned away. "She was going to tell you. It was eating her up inside not being able to tell you. But she was scared."

"Scared of what? Didn't she trust me?"

"I don't know, but if the way you're acting now is any sign of how you would've reacted, maybe she was right."

That froze Mako's hot-tempered tongue.

"Just let me know if she's alright, okay?" Asami asked, her voice calm. "And if she needs a place to stay, tell her she's welcome to come to my house."

"I'm not going to kick her out," he retorted, insulted at the insinuation.

Asami raised a well-manicured eyebrow at him. "Well. That's good to know."

Left without anything more to say, Mako turned away, walking toward the arena. He wasn't ready to face Korra yet, but he didn't want to be too far. His feet lead him to the pier where Korra had first tried out.

It was so obvious, looking back, Mako realized. Kor's height and build, his voice, how he dressed in the bathroom, so many little things.

He sighed, watching the tide ebb and flow. What was he supposed to do now?

* * *

_Happy Christmas! Here's a special update for the holidays, whatever you celebrate. I'm on vacation with my family now, but I still hope to get Saturday's update as usual. What do you think's gonna happen next? Dun dun dun..._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

When Korra woke up, she was flooded with a mix of emotions - confusion, fear, and panic flooded her system as she realized she was alone, but wearing Mako's shirt, and her wound was neatly bandaged.

She'd been discovered.

This realization was followed sharply by the one that Mako must have seen her naked.

She didn't know which one was worse.

Her face burning red, she took stock of herself. Obviously the pain meds Mako gave her were sleeping pills, and she was extremely angry that he'd done that, but not angry enough to have to wonder why. She'd been in bad shape, and if he hadn't, she probably would have fought him to exhaustion. Then they'd have to call a medic and her secret would really be in jeopardy.

She was strong enough now to use her water bending to ease the dull throb as she continued to try to sort out her thoughts.

At least she was dressed, though it was painfully obvious she was a girl without her wrap. And she had a place to stay, at least for now.

"Hey, you're awake."

Korra jumped and looked guiltily up at Bolin.

"Um, yeah." She didn't know what to say or where she stood with him, even if she was pretty sure he'd already guessed. "Where's Mako?"

Bolin's eyes flickered to the side and Korra felt a twinge of pain. "That bad?" She asked.

"Just give him some time," Bolin said. "I'm sure he'll come around."

"I'm sorry," Korra said, fiddling with her hands. "Really. I was going to tell you both, I just didn't know how."

"I know."

She gave him a sidelong look. "Why aren't you so surprised, by the way?"

Bolin chuckled. "I had my suspicions pretty early on, especially after I met you as yourself. You really are one of a kind, Korra, and I don't think even a sibling could replicate that."

Korra blushed, looking down at her knees. "Thanks, Bolin. You're an amazing friend."

He shrugged. "I do what I can."

Smiling weakly, she ventured to ask. "Did Mako have any idea?"

"I don't think so. I don't think the possibility even crossed his mind."

Korra blew out a puff of air. "Is he furious with me?"

"I don't know, you'll have to talk to him."

"Am I getting kicked out?"

"Definitely not," he was adamant. "I won't let him."

"Thanks."

"So. Do I get to hear the whole story?" He smiled warmly at her.

"I'll be happy to tell you whatever you want to know." Korra confessed, "It'd be a relief not to think up any more alibis or stories."

They spent the next hour talking about Korra's crazy adventure and how she ended up dressed as a boy living a double life. Korra couldn't put into words how good it was to get it all off her chest, even if the hardest part was still to come - telling Mako.

—-

Korra didn't know how he did it, but Mako managed to avoid her for the rest of the week. She heard him come in late that night, but he didn't approach her and she didn't say anything for fear of him still being too angry at her.

He was gone before she woke up the next day, and didn't return until she'd gone to bed. He repeated this day after day, and when Korra asked Bolin how long Mako was going to keep this up, he simply shrugged and said he didn't know.

The two of them still practiced during their time slot, though Korra was forced to take things easy thanks to her wound. It was healing quickly, but she wasn't back to one hundred percent yet.

The night before their next match, Mako finally came home before midnight. Bolin was already asleep, but Korra was still up, reading up on their opponents. He looked weary, with bags under his eyes. He sat down at the table, exhaling loudly, and said, "So. The match tomorrow. Are we still competing?"

Korra sprang up. "Of course we are!"

He fixed his golden eyes on her, his face flushed. "Really?"

"Did you turn me in?"

"Of course I didn't," he scoffed.

"Then there's no reason we shouldn't." She said simply.

"Your injury - "

"Is fine. Like I said, I could heal myself. I'll be good as new tomorrow."

"I don't want you to push yourself," he began to say.

"Mako," Korra walked over to stand directly in front of him with her hands on her hips. "I'm sorry I lied to you. I'll tell you whatever you want to know, but you're not allowed to get all weird on me because you know I'm a girl now. I can still fight like Kor, and for all anybody in that arena knows, I _am_ Kor. You just have to trust me."

Mako's look grew intense, and he didn't say anything.

"Mako, I can't tell you how bad I feel about lying to you. But I'm not sorry I did what I did. Pro-bending is in my blood, you can see that. It's not fair that girls aren't allowed to compete, let alone watch. We're not allowed to do anything but sit around and look pretty."

"That's not true," Mako said, his voice gruff.

"It is, but you can't see it. You don't know because you're a man, you can go where you please without sleaze bags whistling at you, and you can get any job you want. Mako, the world is open to you. That's all I want, too."

"But you're the Avatar."

"Which makes it even more difficult. I'm taught everything there is to learn, but I'm not allowed to use any of it. I'm given the best bending teachers there are, but I'm not allowed to fight."

He turned away and replied softly. "I had no idea."

"No one really does," Korra gave him a weak smile. "But I need you to know that my gender was the only thing I lied to you about. Everything else was me." She looked down at her feet. "I really like you. I don't want this to change that."

"It changes everything."

Korra's head shot up at the coldness is Mako's voice. "But -"

"Korra, I have to question everything I know about you now. We can't just pretend that nothing happened."

She felt her shoulders slump. "Do you want me to move out?"

"I don't know. I'm not going to kick you out, but I don't want you to stay if it makes you uncomfortable."

"You haven't been here all week. I have a feeling that has something to do with me. I don't want you to feel like you can't come home."

"That didn't have to do with you as much as it did with me. Don't worry about it."

"Still. I think it would be best if I moved out after tonight. Asami said I could stay with her. You know, if you need to reach me."

"You don't have to go."

"No, I think I do. At least until after the tournament." She paused. "Are we going to be okay?"

"Eventually. We're teammates. Nothing changes that."

She smiled at him, and fighting the urge to give him a hug, went to bed, pulling the blanket up around her shoulders. She listened to him climb up to his own bed, the soft whispers of blankets and clothing echoing through the attic.

She laid there a long time, wishing he wasn't so far away.

—-

The next evening, Mako didn't have anything to offer for a pep talk. The Buzzard Wasps were a formidable team, and the Fire Ferrets were not at their best.

Korra looked at the forlorn faces of her two teammates and decided that if a pep talk was going to come from anyone, it would have to be her.

"We can't give up before we've even begun," she said fervently, getting their attention. "I know we're going through a rough time, but we're still a team and we can still do this."

Bolin offered her a smile, but Mako wouldn't look at her.

"Alright folks," the announcer's voice rumbled through the arena. "It's time for our semi-final rounds! I hope you're ready for an exciting night because these two teams are sure to put on a show."

"Guess that's our cue," Korra said, trying to sound light-hearted. "Let's get out there and do this!"

Despite her best efforts to buoy her team, they were a mess.

Mako seemed to be shadowing her every move, and collided with her more than once. Bolin tried to cover for them, but over-corrected and hit Mako hard in the shoulder. When Mako turned to shout at him, the Buzzard Wasps knocked them both of the ring.

In the second round, the three of them managed to stay on their feet, but only barely and as the third round began, they'd be out of the tournament without a knock-out.

"Well," Mako said with slumped shoulders. "It was nice while it lasted."

His pessimism spread to Bolin as well, who hung his head and said, "There's always next year."

"You can't give up already," Korra insisted. "There's still one more round!"

Mako just looked at her, his face blank.

She frowned defiantly at him and repeated, "There's still one more round."

"Come on, guys," Bolin said nervously, sensing a fight. "The last round's about to start."

They took their places.

And in the end, it was Korra who saved the team.

Mako moved to take her hit - yet again - and found himself knocked off his feet and into the drink by the Buzzard Wasps' waterbender. In the last minute, Bolin and Korra were both standing, fighting with all their might, but the firebender and waterbender teamed up on Bolin and after a painful disc to the shoulder, he too found himself in the water.

Korra refused to give up, even as the Buzzard Wasps leered at her, confident in their impending victory. They still had a player in each zone, and believed she didn't stand a chance.

Instead, she narrowed her eyes and lined them up, taking all three out with one powerful blast.

There was a moment of shocked silence followed the splash that echoed throughout the arena.

"I can't believe it, folks," the announcer cried out, "But with the amazing come from behind, the Fire Ferrets are going to the finals!"

Korra sagged with relief, but grinned proudly. She'd shown her worth beyond a doubt. No one would ever be able to say she didn't deserve it, or wasn't strong enough to be a probender.

She basked in the deafening cheers for a long, long moment.

* * *

"What was that?" Korra demanded as she stepped off the platform to the holding room.

"What was what?" Mako asked stubbornly.

"You wouldn't let me fight! You kept jumping in front of me, trying to take my hits and block for me. I don't need you to go all protective on me now! You almost lost us the match!"

"Guys," Bolin said nervously, "Maybe we should take this conversation elsewhere."

It was just as well, too, because Tahno and his team walked in just at that moment. As much as Korra wanted to throttle Mako, Tahno would always be on the top of that list.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," Tahno drawled. "A team of wannabes."

His teammates chuckled as the Fire Ferrets seethed at him.

"We'll see who the wannabes are in the finals," Korra said defiantly.

"I look forward to it," Tahno sneered, putting on his helmet. "I also look forward to seeing you out of the arena, newbie."

Bolin held her arm, and Korra resigned herself to glaring at the Wolf Bats as they got on the platform that took them to the ring. Then she turned back to Mako.

"As I was saying," she began again, but Mako cut her off.

"Knowing who you are now," he hissed in a low voice, "I didn't want to see you get hurt, okay?"

"Because I'm a girl? Nice Mako." Her voice was cold as ice. "Glad to see you have so much faith in me." She turned on her heel, refusing to listen to anything more he had to say.

The boys were left alone in awkward silence, save for the announcer's narration, neither one quite knowing what to say.

After only a matter of minutes, though, the ending bell rang, "Well today has been a day for the papers, folk! The Wolf Bats win with a one round knockout! And a brutal one at that. I hope the Fire Ferrets get their rhythm back by the finals or they'll be in for a painful night."

Bolin crossed his arms and looked pointedly with a frown on his face at his brother. They both knew it was up to Mako to fix things.

He sighed. "Don't look at me like that, Bo. I'll go find her."

"You better. And be nice."

"I'm always nice," he grumbled, sulking out before Tahno could gloat again.

He checked the attic first, without much luck. Her uniform was there, which meant she must have stopped long enough to change, but it also meant Mako didn't know if he was looking for Korra or Kor. Frustrated, he briefly looked through her things - just to see what she might be wearing - and he spied that cursed wrap thrown carelessly in the corner. So, Korra it was.

Running his fingers through his hair, he tried to think where she might have gone - and not dwell on the wrap or what it had covered or what he had seen. A task he'd struggled with this past week, and part of the reason he'd spent so much time away from the apartment. The only way he could even look at her without turning bright red was by remembering how hurt and angry and confused he was.

But back to the matter at hand, Asami was most likely still at the match, so she was out unless Korra wanted to draw more attention to herself. The only other place he could think of was Air Temple Island. Their conversation about Naga came to mind, and Mako was convinced that Korra went to see her best friend, no matter the consequences.

He raced to the ferry, wishing he could just swim the bay like she could, but not knowing if he could actually make it. If the ferry didn't leave in the next ten minutes, though, he'd be willing to risk it.

Luckily, the ferry was only a couple minutes from departure, and Mako quickly boarded, pacing the entire trip. His mind raced with what he would say to her once he saw her. Apologize? For what, though - that was the question. He wasn't sorry for trying to protect her. He wasn't protecting her because she was a girl, but because she was _Korra_. It tore at his heart to see her hurt. Logically he knew she could defend herself, but emotionally… it was simply instinct to do whatever he could to keep her out of harm's way.

But how could he explain that to her without revealing his feelings as well? It was too soon, the emotions too raw to take that step. They were both too angry and too hurt.

He exhaled heavily, no closer to an answer when the ferry docked. But he knew he was close to finding her. He didn't know why, but he could feel she was near. The acolytes were still calmly tending to their own duties, and Mako had a feeling that if Korra had been to the temple, things would have been a bit more chaotic. She must have snuck in.

If he found Naga, he was sure he'd find Korra.

"Excuse me," he asked the nearest acolyte, a woman who smiled serenely at him. "I've heard the Avatar brought her polar bear dog with her from the South Pole. I've always wanted to see one, is there any way I could get a quick peek?"

The woman's smile froze. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you," she said stiffly. "We don't keep such dangerous creatures on this island."

Mako frowned. "Are you sure. Korra said -"

"I'm sure you must be mistaken. Now if you'll excuse me," she hurried off, leaving Mako to stare after her in confusion.

Then he scowled. He could understand a simple no, but such an evasive answer was odd.

He felt a slight tug on he jacket a looked down to see a young girl with short brown hair dressed in the oranges and yellows of the air temple, flanked by an even younger girl with her hair in two buns. "Yes?"

"Do you know Korra?" she asked, her gray eyes wide.

Mako knelt down to their height. "Yes. Have you seen here today?"

The girl shook her head, "I haven't seen her in weeks. Is she okay? She disappeared and Dad was really mad but wouldn't tell us anything. I'm Jinora, by the way. This is my sister, Ikki."

"She's fine, I think, but I made her angry. I'm trying to find her to make things better. I think she wanted to see her polar bear dog."

Ikki's eyes lit up and she answered excitedly. "Naga? I can show you where she is, but I haven't seen Korra. Do you know what happened?"

Mako sighed. "I do, but it's pretty complicated. I don't know how much Korra wants to share."

Jinora's shoulders fell. "I understand. We'll take you to Naga, though, and maybe we'll both find her. Naga was staying in Korra's old room, but when Korra didn't come back, she got really anxious and made a mess. They're keeping her in the sky bison caves now. I'll show you the way."

He followed the girls across the island, but hesitated when they reached the caves. He wanted - needed - to talk to Korra alone.

"She's in there?" He began.

"Naga is," Jinora confirmed, and Ikki bounced on the balls of her feet.

"Hopefully Korra, too!" She said. "I can't wait to show her the marble trick I learned."

Mako bit his lip. He hated to disappoint these girls as well. "Ikki, I know Korra was really mad when she left. I should go talk to her first."

Both girls' faces fell, but Jinora recovered quickly. "It's okay. We just want to make sure she's okay. We have lessons soon, anyway, don't we, Ikki?"

The younger girl pouted. "Fine. Tell her we miss her though, okay?"

"I promise," he smiled gently at them, then watched as they ran back to the temple.

He steeled himself, climbing over the rocks and into the cave.

The first thing he saw was the giant mass of white fur curled up in a corner, its long tail wagging happily.

Just as Mako let out a sigh of relief, he heard sniffling. Was Korra _crying_?

"I missed you so much, girl," Korra's soft voice carried through the cave. "You don't think I'm weak."

Mako wanted to protest right then, but hesitated to interrupt. In that moment, Korra continued to confide in her best friend.

"I don't know what else I have to do prove myself. And I don't know what to do with Mako to make him understand."

He stiffened when he heard his name.

"He won't listen to me without getting defensive. He won't let me fight my own fights. He still doesn't trust me."

Mako wanted to shout to defend himself, but realized he would only be making a bad situation worse. He sunk back behind the rocks, hiding from sight. It was true his trust in her had been shaken, but he still cared about her. He needed to sort out his feelings before confronting her. His emotions cooled as he listened to the girl murmur to her pet words he couldn't make out.

She hadn't meant to hurt him. That much was clear. But did it mean she wouldn't inadvertently hurt him again? Could he give his trust to her again?

He left the cave without an answer and without speaking a word to Korra.

* * *

_Hope everyone has a safe and happy new year! See you next year!_

_Also, to answer a few question: this fic will be about 15 chapters long. I do post teasers on my tumblr on Thursdays. I have watched and love She's the Man, Mulan, and there will be some Ouran Host Club references coming up as well. I might work in some Hana Kimi if I can, too. I love this genre. :D _

_Thanks again for your reviews! I love and appreciate every one!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

When Korra felt she was quite done with all this crying and feeling sorry for herself, she wiped her eyes dry with the palms of her hands and steadied herself. Naga whined and nudged her owner with her wet nose, and Korra scratched her under the chin.

"It's alright, Naga. I'll be alright." Korra kissed her on the forehead. "As long as I've got you, I'll manage somehow."

She pushed her shoulders back and inhaled deeply, stretching. She'd missed the island, as much as she hated to admit it. The air was cleaner out of the city, even if it was only a short distance away. Something about living with airbenders, probably.

"Korra?"

Speak of the devil.

"Jinora?" Korra wondered aloud. "Is that you?"

Indeed it was, and the two young airbending girls tumbled into the cave, gusts of wind in their wake.

"Korra!" Ikki cried and hugged the older girl around the knees, while Jinora waited for Korra to reach an arm out to her, then hugged her as well.

"Ikki, Jinora, what are you doing here?"

"Someone came looking for you!" Ikki announced, looking up at her without letting go.

"We wanted to see you, too, so when he left, we hoped it was our turn," Jinora elaborated.

"He?" Korra asked, raising a brow in confusion.

"I don't think he said his name," Jinora said. "But he was tall, and very handsome. He knew you and Naga. Is he your boyfriend?"

"Don't be silly," Korra chided her, at the same time feeling a pang in her heart. "I don't think he likes me very much at all right now."

"He said he made you angry." Ikki said in her usual quick, matter-of-fact speech. "Are you still angry? Did he make it better? He also said he knew where you've been. Can you tell us? Please?"

Korra chuckled. "He did make me angry, but I made him just as mad. And I didn't even know he was here - he didn't talk to me."

"But he must have seen you," Jinora said, confused. "We left him right here."

Korra's heart quickened to know he'd sought her out, though she was a little annoyed he hadn't actually talked to her.

"Why wouldn't he talk to you?" Ikki asked.

Korra leaned down, and said conspiratorially, "I'll tell you a secret. Boys are stupid sometimes and don't make any sense. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise." All three girls burst into giggles.

"Korra?" Another voice called her name, this one much deeper and older. Her head snapped up and saw Tenzin standing in the mouth of the sky bison cave.

"Tenzin!"

"Daddy!" The younger girls seemed much more excited to see the airbending master than Korra. She eyed him cautiously, all too aware of the way they last parted.

"Girls, I need to speak to Korra alone, please." The protested at his request, but eventually left them alone, making Korra promise to visit them again soon and not to disappear again.

"I've heard rumors of a new probender in the tournament. A waterbender, a brother to the Avatar." He studied her, but she met his gaze evenly, her chin held high, without saying anything. "You and I both know the Avatar does not have a brother."

Korra's insides tied themselves in knots. He was going to expose her.

"I don't need to ask why. I just want to ask if it's worth it."

Her gaze didn't waver. "Yes. It's been worth every moment."

He sighed heavily. "Then I supposed I have nothing more to say."

Korra blinked. "Really?"

"It hasn't been the same without you around here, Korra." He raised his head to smile gently at her. "And that made me think. You've always been headstrong. It was wrong of me to try to hold you back."

Korra was stunned. "I-I don't know what to say."

"You're a strong girl, Korra. You'll find your way no matter what stands in your way, and I've decided you don't need me to be yet another obstacle."

"Thank you," she said genuinely, blinking rapidly to keep the tears from returning. "It means a lot to me to know you don't think I'm a failure."

"Oh, I never thought you were a failure," he said, his voice heavy with regret. "I just didn't know what kind of teacher you needed. I thought you needed strict guidance and discipline for your training to take, but I can see now I was wrong."

Korra couldn't take it anymore, and flung herself into his arms. "I'm sorry I ran off. I was angry and just needed to get away."

Tenzin wrapped his arms around her, his hold fatherly and warm. "I understand. You're becoming a young lady, striking out on your own. I'm proud of you."

She pulled back to look him in the eye, withdrawing and wrapping her arms around herself.

"Not many are strong enough to fight in the probending tournament, and even fewer girls would have the gall to try."

"So you're not going to tell on me?" She asked, hopefully, biting her lip.

He smiled knowingly at her. "I believe you've met my brother. He was in his fair share of schemes as a boy, and I learned long ago not to get involved or make things worse. Somehow he always managed to find his way out of trouble, something he got from our father. I think you have the same talent. Besides, it'd do the city good to see how strong the Avatar truly is."

—

Korra had dinner with Tenzin's family for the first time in weeks, and her heavy shoulders felt lighter by the minute.

"Oh, by the way," Tenzin's wife Pema said as her children - and Korra - enthusiastically ate dessert. "An invitation came for you while you were gone, Korra."

She swallowed quickly, coughing a little, "An invitation?"

"It seems there's a party being held in honor of the two final teams in the tournament, and they'd like you to attend."

Korra placed her spoon down quietly, glancing at Tenzin. He held his hands out and shrugged.

"I don't suppose there's any way I could get out of it?" She asked weakly.

"Why don't you want to go? You love probending," Ikki asked around a mouthful of ice cream.

"Do you remember that boy that came to the island earlier?" Korra asked by way of explanation.

"The handsome one?" Jinora chirped. "Is he a probender?"

"Firebender for the Fire Ferrets."

"Oooh," both girls cooed. Tenzin's youngest, Meelo, used his airbending to make the lanterns flicker. "I'm a firebender, too!" He announced proudly, his mouth still full.

Korra gave them a sardonic look. "No, not oooh. Bad. We never talked, remember? I think he's still mad at me, and he's sure to be at the party."

"Korra," Tenzin chided gently, "I thought you were done with running away from your problems."

She pouted, then heaved a loud sigh. "Plus there's the whole matter of _all_ the Fire Ferrets being invited as well," she said pointedly.

The children looked confused, but Tenzin just chuckled. "I'm sure you'll figure something out."

She wasn't so sure, so later that night, Korra called Asami. "Asami? I need your help again. And this time, you're really going to need to work your magic."

* * *

Adjusting his collar nervously, Mako asked his brother if he'd heard from Korra. The third member of their team hadn't been back to the apartment since she left after the last match, and Mako hadn't seen her since the cave five days ago. The Fire Ferrets had been invited to a fancy party partially in their honor tonight, and he still didn't know if she would attend.

"I thought I told you," Bolin said from the couch, where he was shining his shoes so vigorously they could be used as mirrors. "An airbender girl brought a note by the other day. Korra said she'd meet us there. She was invited as the Avatar as well."

Mako's eyebrows rose. "She's going as both Korra _and_ Kor?"

"Guess so. The note didn't say much. I could've sworn I told you."

"No," he frowned. His hands felt clammy at the thought of seeing Korra again tonight. He'd thought of nothing else since he'd seen her, and realized how much a part of his life she'd become. He missed her.

And he wanted her back.

He tied his scarf with a determined hand, and said, "Ready to go?"

"Ready as ever! Let's hit the town!"

—

They were greeted with applause and cheers as they entered the city hall's banquet room, which Bolin simply ate up, waving and grinning at his fans. Mako was too distracted with trying to locate Korra to even notice.

He frowned when he couldn't find her. A light hand touched his shoulder and he spun around expectantly. His face fell when it wasn't who he was looking for.

Asami laughed. "Sorry to disappoint you. You don't have to look that upset, though."

Blushing slightly, he regained his composure. "Sorry, I'm just - "

"Looking for Korra," she interrupted with a sly smile. "Believe me, I know all about it."

"You talked to her?" He asked impatiently.

She laughed again. "You could say that. And don't worry, she'll be here. Soon, I think. Since she's the Avatar, they wanted her to make an entrance, so you might as well go be social until it's time."

Social was the last thing he wanted to be. "Thanks," he replied grumpily.

"It'll be worth it, trust me." She winked at him and slinked off to chat with important looking people that Mako didn't know. A few girls braved approaching him to tell him how they loved listening to him on the radio, as well as to ask where Kor was.

Mako did his best to be polite, giving vague answers, but eventually the girls detected his lack of interested and sulked off, leaving him alone and going to Bolin, who was all too pleased to entertain them. It was rare for women to be invited to anything having to do with probending, but it seemed someone wanted to shake things up this time. A corner of Mako's mind registered the fact that there were more female fans than he expected, but he brushed the thought aside, thinking that he shouldn't be so surprised.

Korra had been a fan, after all. He doubted that any of the girls there could even possibly be anything quite like her, though.

Then, finally, the lights dimmed. Mako turned as the great, ornate doors at the back of the hall slowly swung open, revealing the petite, brown-skinned girl he'd been waiting all night to see.

His jaw actually dropped when he saw her. She was wearing a stunning, shimmery gown that clung to her curves like a second skin, and her hair hung around her shoulders in gentle waves, an opal ornament pinning half of it up. She wore light makeup, save for the berry pink lipstick highlighting her plump lips curved in a shy smile, as well as something around her eyes, enhancing their color and shape. Those ocean blue eyes glowed as they looked out at everyone, and to top everything off, she was encircled by a halo of water, rock, and fire.

A hush fell over the crowd as they took her in, and Mako heard Asami whisper beside him - when she'd sidled up to him, he had no idea - "And that's what we call an entrance. I told you it'd be worth it."

Mako couldn't tear his eyes away, watching as Korra bent her elemental ring into new shapes as the crowd ooh-ed and ahh-ed then into a small bowl so she could move about the room freely. Everyone applauded her, duly impressed, and she was immediately surrounded by admirers of her own.

He tried to make his way to the crowd, but couldn't manage it without rudely shoving people aside. As much as both he and Korra might have enjoyed that (no doubt she'd be amused by any lack of propriety) he restrained himself.

Instead, he waited. All night, he waited for the perfect moment to get her alone, but as soon as he thought there'd be a chance, someone else would snatch her up.

"Where's the rest of your team, _captain_?" A low voice asked, breaking into his thoughts and sneering on the last word. Tahno. "Did the little runt finally chicken out?"

The waterbender stepped in front of Mako, blocking his view of Korra, flanked by the other two Wolf Bats. Mako scowled.

"He had other things to take care of."

Tahno laughed, and his teammates joined in, a slight beat behind. He grinned in amusement, asking in a mocking tone, "Other things? Did he have to ask his mommy if he could stay out late with the big boys?"

Mako bristled. "Big boys?" He spat. "I wouldn't flatter yourself. You seem to keep forgetting who won in your little street fight."

Tahno's eyes narrowed. "Beginner's luck," he said coldly. "We'll see who's really the bigger man in tomorrow's match, won't we? Unless your little pet doesn't show."

"He's no one's pet. And he'll show."

Tahno sauntered off and Mako let out a deep breath. What _was_ Korra's plan tonight? Kor needed to make an appearance, but Mako couldn't see how she'd get away long enough. Even now, an older gentleman was talking her ear off as she nodded politely, clearly not really listening.

He caught her eye for the first time that night. Then, to his delight, she smiled hesitantly, tilting her head slightly to the door to the kitchens, where trays of food and flutes of champagne were continuously being brought out. He nodded, his heart racing and climbing up into his throat.

Unlike Korra, he was able to melt into the crowd and slip into the kitchens without drawing attention. All the servers and cooks and helpers in there were so busy, they barely noticed him, but Mako felt awkward just standing there, waiting.

He spied the pile of dirty dishes growing in the sink, and when he didn't see a washer, he took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and got to work. He couldn't remember how many times he'd worked this job as a boy, and something about the familiar motions calmed his nerves.

Then the kitchen went oddly silent, followed by an unmistakable voice asking, "Ah, sorry, is the bathroom through here?"

Mako slowly turned to see Korra standing there, looking a bit sheepish as one of the servers nervously gave her directions and the others stared at her. She thanked him, her eyes sliding to meet Mako's. She looked him up and down, taking in his slightly damp shirt and his soapy hands, and smiled.

His stomach flipped over, and she walked towards him, her hips swaying from side to side in a way he'd never noticed before.

"Maybe you can show me the way? I'm terrible with directions." She widened her eyes slightly, motioning for him to play along.

"S-sure," he stammered, drying his hands on a nearby towel, grabbing his coat and quickly leading her out another door before anyone questioned who he was and what he was doing there.

He could feel her presence behind him, her eyes like warm coals on his neck, as they walked down a dimly lit corridor. He didn't know where he was going, but the dull roar of the party gradually faded away.

Then… they were alone.

* * *

_AN: Sorry for the slightly shorter chapter this week, it's been crazy busy here. I'm also going to have to take a short hiatus while I take care of some other stuff, but it should only be a week or two. You can follow my tumblr for more info, the link is on my profile. Thank you for understanding and thank you for all your fantastic reviews! I love hearing your guesses about what's going to happen next!_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

The silence echoed in Korra's ears as she watched Mako's face with trepidation. He didn't seem angry anymore…he seemed nervous. Which didn't make any sense to her.

"I know you came to the island," she began quietly. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Mako looked down at his hands. "I thought…you seemed like you needed space. I didn't want to make things worse."

Korra laughed bitterly. "I don't think you could have made things worse."

They were both silent a long moment, until Mako blurted out, "I missed you this week."

Korra blinked. "You…did?"

He ran a hand through his hair, messing up the carefully gelled 'do. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I missed fighting with you. No one seems to push my buttons the way you do."

Her lips curled up in small smile.

"I miss seeing you drag yourself to practice in the morning. You clearly hate getting up early, but you're so devoted, you're willing to sacrifice some sleep. Not to mention all the other sacrifices you've made, pretending to be a boy."

Korra could hardly believe her ears. At most, she thought Mako would grudgingly tell her she could finish out the tournament, but that they could only be teammates, nothing more. Now, it seemed like he'd actually cared about her.

Her heart raced as he spoke, each word kindling to the flame inside of her.

"I made a mistake pushing you away like that," he said. "I should have trusted you. You've proved yourself over and over again that you're a fighter, and not just in the ring. And you've proven yourself to be a friend."

"Does that mean you've forgiven me?" She asked hesitantly.

He let out a wry laugh. "Of course I have. Can you forgive me for not trusting you?"

She nodded, her smile growing.

"And," he continued, tugging nervously at his cuffs. "Since we're getting everything out in the open, I have a confession for you."

Korra looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Korra, I love you," he said, and she knew he meant it. This was not a boy who gave his heart away easily, and his words stoked the fire growing inside her.

Without a word, Korra did what she does best - act, and act without a single thought to the consequences.

Beaming, she threw her arms him and kissed him right on the mouth. Mako let out a small gasp in surprise, but was quick to return the kiss, one hand falling comfortably around her waist, the other under her chin guiding her. This kiss was different from the one she'd shared with him before. Before it was sweet and playful; this was something deeper, stronger, something that neither one of them could resist.

For several minutes, they just stood there, exploring the other and basking in the warmth of their closeness. Eventually, they separated, pinks cheek and both teens breathing a little harder than normal.

"So," Mako said, grinning happily. It seemed kissing did wonders for his attitude. "I take it that means the feeling is somewhat mutual."

Korra rolled her eyes and shoved him gently, only to grab his arm and pull him back again. "Yes. I love you, too, you big dork."

Mako didn't want to let the moment end, so he pulled her in for another kiss, which she was only too happy give. This one was a bit slower, a bit softer, without the initial frenzy and anxiety of the first. When they parted, Mako rested his forehead against hers. "Can we just leave now?" He asked, knowing that it was impossible.

She smirked. "If only. Unfortunately, Kor still has to make an appearance."

Mako groaned. "How am I going to handle treating you like a boy when you just kissed me like _that_?"

Her smirk widened, clearly proud of herself. "I'm sure you'll figure something out. Now go on, you better get back inside before someone misses you. This party's for you, you know."

He stole one more kiss before heading back for the party, but not before Korra called his name to get his attention one more time. She bit her lip, smiling, and said, "You might want to clean up a bit first. I don't think this shade of lipstick is quite your color." She winked and broke out laughing as he blushed, wiping at his mouth. He made a face at her and changed directions to find the real bathroom.

She watched him walk away, then went to find Asami in another bathroom far away from the fuss of the party. Asami was waiting for her, and as soon as Korra walked in the door, Asami pounced.

"What happened to you?" She cried, grabbing Korra by the shoulders. "Your lipstick is all smudged and you look…_no!" _She shouted gleefully. "Did you just make out with Mako?"

Turning bright red, Korra shushed her friend, though no one was around to hear them. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Yes. Now spill, I need to know everything. Here, wash off the rest of your make-up and I'll get to work while you talk." She handed her a washcloth and nudged Korra in front of the mirror so Asami could take down her hair.

"I don't know what there is to tell," Korra began, bashful and still in a bit of shock. "We made up. He said he loved me. Then we kissed. A bit."

Asami squealed and Korra winced away from the high pitched noise right in her ear. "I knew he loved you, did you tell him back?"

"Well, yeah, but how did you know I felt that way about him?"

Asami waved the question aside and started pulling Korra's hair into a more masculine style. "Please. Was he nervous?"

Korra flinched as Asami pulled a little too hard on her hard. "I'm not sure. I think so, but I think he was more nervous about whether or not I'd forgive him for the way he treated me when he found out I was a girl."

Asami gave her friend a sympathetic smile. "And did you?"

"Of course I did. I wouldn't have kissed a guy who thought I was just another useless girl, even if he was as good-looking as Mako." Asami laughed, and Korra fell silent for a moment, lost in thought. Then she said, "I understand why he was so mad. He's led a hard life, and doesn't give his trust away easily. I broke that trust."

Asami started to protest, but Korra said, "No, it doesn't matter why. I still did it. So now I have to do everything I can to prove he can trust me again."

"What are you going to do?"

A determined glint flashed in Korra's eyes as she said, "We're going to win the tournament. Just like I told him we would."

—

Several moments later, Korra emerged from the bathroom looking completely different. With her hair severely tied back and her makeup now shaping her face into a young man's, she was Kor again. And she had to hand it to Asami, the girl was gifted. Korra wore new clothes as well, with her chest bound again. A part of her had hoped that since the brothers knew her secret, she wouldn't have to wear the constrictive wrap anymore, but it was still necessary to keep up the charade.

"You know," Asami said thoughtfully, a finger on her lips, "You really do make a handsome man."

Korra rolled her eyes. "Glad you think so. We're still dating, right?"

Asami laughed. "That's right. Now it's time for you to make your entrance. Again."

Korra groaned.

* * *

Mako paced restlessly around the ballroom while he waited for Korra to reappear. Eventually Bolin had had enough and went to his brother's side.

"What's with you tonight?" Bolin asked, waving goodbye to the group of girls he'd just left. "You're more high-strung than Pabu on bath night."

"I just talked to Korra," he said succinctly.

Bolin gave him another look, this time noticing the rumpled shirt and slightly messy hair. "Oh?" He gave Mako a sly grin. "And?"

"And we kissed, okay? But then she had to leave so she could change into Kor and I don't know how I'm going to be able to act normal around her. Him? I don't even know how to talk about her!" He rambled nervously, his hand automatically going to tug at a scarf that wasn't there.

Bolin chuckled. It was a rare pleasure to see Mako so worked up, especially about a girl. "Just treat Kor like you always have."

"But I'll know it's Korra. What if I do something that blows her cover?"

"Well, talking about it in public is probably not the best idea," Bolin said, looking around. "But I'm sure you'll be fine. And Korra's smart, she won't do anything to raise suspicion."

Mako knew Korra was smart, but he doubted that. She was still too reckless and - no matter how much he loved her - undeniably crazy.

"When is Kor getting here, anyway? Tahno was hassling me again a minute ago. I'm surprised he hasn't ambushed you again."

Mako scowled. "Soon, I think."

He was right, and a few minutes later, Kor walked into the room with Asami on his arm. Mako blinked a couple times, amazed at how transformed the girl looked. Usually, Kor still looked kind of feminine, but tonight there was something different that he couldn't put his finger on.

"Well, well," Tahno drawled from behind the two bending brothers. "Looks like your final team mate finally arrived. Now we can draw the winners for the raffle."

"Raffle?" Mako asked, confused.

"Haven't you been paying any attention?" Tahno scolded with pleasure. "All these girls here tonight? Why do you think they're here for a sport that doesn't allow girls to play or watch?"

Mako hadn't even noticed. He'd been too distracted by Korra. Now that he looked around, though, there were a lot more girls than he would have expected. He also noticed six crystal bowls on a table at the head of the room, each filled with slips of paper.

Tahno continued, "There's a raffle for a kiss from each of the players competing in the finals, with all the money added to the championship pot. Surely someone told you."

Mako turned to Bolin, who looked a bit sheepish. "I thought I mentioned it," Bolin said, smiling weakly.

Groaning, Mako pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, just get it over with." He couldn't imagine anyone actually entering the stupid thing, let alone for a kiss from him. Maybe Bolin with all of his fangirls, but Mako never charmed them the way his brother did.

"Go gather your your waterbender, and we'll get started," Tahno said with a wicked grin.

Mako felt cold. Of course Kor would be included in this stupid game, but that wasn't what sent chills down his spine, it was the way Tahno emphasized _your waterbender_, and the knowing look in his eyes.

Tahno knew something.

There wasn't any time to demand answers, though, and the Fire Ferrets were ushered to stand in front of their respective bowls. The Wolfbats drew their names first, each reward their kiss with a loud and dramatic flair that sent the girls swooning. Mako tried not to roll his eyes.

When it was Bolin's turn, he drew and called out a name, and a pretty, petite girl cried out in shock and practically ran to collect her prize. Mako could hear Kor chuckling beside him as Bolin dipped the girl and planted a romantic - but chaste - kiss on her lips.

Then it was Mako's turn. He glanced down at the bowl, surprised to see almost as many slips of paper in his as there had been in Bolin's. He drew a name, and a shy, brunette walked up to him saying he picked her. Mako carefully did not look at Kor as he placed his hands on the girl's shoulders and stiffly gave her a kiss. The girl giggled and thanked him, blushing, then ran off her to friends.

Kor was the last one to go and, surprisingly, had the most slips of paper in his bowl. Mako pushed down the feelings of jealousy churning in his gut, and realized that _Korra_ would be kissing a_ girl_.

He didn't know how to process what he thought of that.

As Kor unfolded the paper, he let out a loud laugh and showed the crowd as he announced, "Asami Sato."

Mako didn't know if that was better or worse that kissing a stranger.

The crowd groaned, claiming that wasn't fair as Asami sashayed up to get a kiss from her boyfriend. But Asami just winked at the crowd and said, "What good is having money if I can't use it to get a kiss from the boy I like?" That got a few laughs, including Kor's, and Asami claimed her prize.

Mako couldn't look away. It wasn't a passionate kiss by any means, just a simple peck on the lips, but he still couldn't shake the fact that it was _Korra_ and Asami.

"Bro," Bolin nudged him, "You might want to relax or people are going to start thinking you're jealous."

Mako glared at him, but tried to do as he suggested, especially when he noticed Tahno smirking at him from the sidelines.

—-

As the party began winding down, Mako couldn't wait to be free of the spotlight and go home where he could have Korra to himself again. Bolin would understand. Besides, he'd hit it off with the girl who'd won his kiss and Mako wouldn't be surprised if his brother stayed out much later than usual.

"You seem a bit antsy," Kor observed, pulling up a seat beside him.

Mako shot him a look. "As if you don't know why."

Kor grinned, and Mako saw Korra shining through. "I'm sure I have no idea."

"I don't like being around so many people," Mako said, fighting the urge to drag Korra someplace private so they could be alone again - someplace where neither one of them had to pretend they were someone they were not.

"I thought you liked the attention," Kor said, curious at his response.

He shook his head. "Nah, that was always Bolin's thing. I was never in it for the fame. Just the fortune," he smiled wryly. "Which I still have yet to find."

Kor laughed. "Well, based on what Asami told me, the Championship pot should be fortune enough for even you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she told me how much the raffle tickets cost," Kor shook his head in disbelief. "So all you have to worry about now is knocking Tahno's stupid face into the drink."

Mako couldn't help but smile at the mental image, but the smile quickly faded when he remember that Tahno knew something.

"Is something wrong?" Kor asked, noticing his expression.

Mako looked around them before answer, "I think Tahno might have some dirt on you, if you know what I mean."

Kor gasped. "How?"

Mako shook his head. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out. If I know him like I think I do, he'll try to blackmail us, or expose us in some way at the tournament."

"Us?"

"Us," he confirmed. "We're in this together, remember? Teammates. He hurts you, he hurts all of us."

Kor's eyes shimmered for a moment, then he leaned close to whisper in Mako's ear, "Remind me to kiss you again when I'm back to being me, okay?"

Mako grinned. "That won't be a problem."

* * *

_A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I hope it was worth it. :) I should be back to updating more regularly now, even though there are only a few chapters left. Thanks for sticking around! _


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Korra coudn't deny it; she was nervous. She had a lot to live up to in this final match. Not only did she have Mako and Bolin depending on her, but Asami was rooting for, not to mention Tenzin and really any girl who ever wanting to be a part of pro-bending and was turned away.

Unfortunately, she couldn't turn to Mako to ease her nerves - they were still so new and fragile that after the dinner last night, Korra asked Mako if they could put a hold on things until the tournament was over.

"I just don't want any distractions - for either of us, you know?" She asked nervously, wringing her hands as he joined her on the couch, finishing off the last of his breakfast in one bite.

He frowned, but sighed. "It's probably for the best. We won't have to worry about someone else accidentally discovering your secret then, either. It was risky enough meeting last night."

Korra couldn't help but smile. "But worth it."

Mako laughed. "A thousand times worth it." He started to move towards her to kiss her cheek, but stopped halfway and pulled back, his shoulders slumped. "This might be more difficult than I thought."

Korra grasped his hands and gently played with his fingers. "It's only for a few more days. And then Kor will go back to the South Pole and this whole mess will be over with."

He watched their hands. "You're giving up pro-bending?"

She nodded solemnly. "I can't keep up this double life anymore, as much as I love pro-bending. Besides, I think Tenzin was thinking about visiting other parts of the Republic as part of my Avatar training. I won't be able to do both."

"You're leaving Republic City?" Mako sounded alarmed, his grip tightening slightly.

"Only for a little bit. I don't know the details yet." She paused, then asked shyly, "Maybe you could come with me?"

"Really? You'd want me to?"

"Well, yeah," she tugged on his fingers. "I kind of like having you around." She watched his face carefully, and was relieved to see a smile.

"I'd like that."

"Well, it's still a long ways away," she said, standing up and brushing her clothes out self-consiously. "Just something to think about. Should we get down to the gym? And where's Bolin gone to?"

"Good question," Mako frowned, a crease forming between his brows as sudden worry took over his face. "He never came home last night. I know he met a girl, but it's not like him to stay out the whole night."

"Maybe he's just giving us some space and went straight to the gym," Korra suggested.

He relaxed marginally. "Maybe. We might as well go down then."

Bolin wasn't in the gym, either, but Korra told Mako not to worry. Bolin was smart, he was probably just worried about the two of them and didn't want to interrupt anything.

"He's always managing to get into trouble, though," Mako insisted, his eyes constantly sliding over to the door, watching for his brother.

"Give him another hour, and then we'll go look for him," Korra said, picking up a medicine ball. Mako reluctantly agreed, and they went through their usual drills. Both were a little distracted - for various reasons - but they managed to get a good workout in regardless.

An hour and a half passed without any sign of Bolin, and Mako was clearly starting to get really worried. Even Korra was growing a little concerned. As considerate as Bolin was, he wouldn't skip practice, too.

They quickly changed out of their practice gear and into their street clothes. Korra was careful to secure her bindings and her male disguise before heading out the door behind Mako, who seemed to be getting more worked up by the moment.

As soon as they exited the arena, they heard a shout.

"Mako!"

Mako spun around, clearly expecting to see Bolin. His face fell when it was only a little boy calling his name, waving a folded piece of paper in one hand.

"I've been waiting for you!" He announced proudly, his grin revealing a missing tooth.

Korra's heart clenched, and she could see Mako was equally pained. "I'm sorry, kid," Mako said, "I'm kind of in a hurry right now."

"To meet your brother, right?" The boy was undeterred. "I have a note from him." He held out the paper proudly, which Mako immediately accepted.

"He gave this to you?" He asked.

The boy shook his head, "No, but the guy who told me to give it to you said it was from Bolin. He gave me five whole yuans to deliver it."

Mako and Korra exchanged a worried glance. Bolin didn't have any spare change to be handing out, let alone to a young fan who probably would have delivered a note for free.

Mako cleared his throat. "Thanks, kid, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome! Good luck in the tournament! I'll be rooting for you!"

He ran off and Korra watched as Mako quickly unfolded the paper, his eyes scanning the writing quickly.

"What's it say?" She asked, knowing something was amiss.

He handed it over. "It seems the Wolf Bats want a rematch with you before the finals. They've got Bolin."

"_What_?" She snatched the paper and read it quickly. As soon as she read the last word, the page went up in flames, crumbling to ash at her feet.

"Korra!" Mako called in alarm.

Korra only tightened her fists. "How dare they," she swore in a low voice. "Have they no sense of honor at all? Do they have to stoop so low to win?"

"There's rumors they do this every year," Mako said tersely. "I should have warned Bolin to be more careful."

"They're targeting me, though. They want to bring me down."

"They would have found another reason to hurt us one way or another. But that's not important right now."

A look a guilt washed over Korra's face. "Right. Of course. We need to get Bolin back before he gets hurt."

They hurried to the place Korra was summoned on the note, a club in the Dragon Flats district. The words had claimed the Wolf Bats wouldn't hurt Bolin, they were just holding him as incentive for Kor to show up, but neither Mako nor Korra wanted Bolin in jeopardy for longer than necessary. They reached the club quickly, and it was dark inside, closed down during the day.

After trying the door and finding it firmly locked, Korra led Mako around back. "They've got to be here somewhere," she muttered, her ears pricked and muscles tense.

"Ask and the devil appears," Mako replied in a sour tone just loud enough for Korra to hear as Tahno came into view, lounging against a rickety metal fire escape. "Where's Bolin?" He demanded instantly, raising his voice.

Tahno tsked. "What, skipping the pleasantries? Where are your manners? I suppose it should come as no surprise from someone raised on the streets," he sneered.

Mako bristled, but Korra shifted to hold the back of his jacket with her fingertips, a silent reminder that she had his back and that he needed to keep his cool.

"You didn't answer my question," Mako replied instead. "Where's my brother?"

"He's perfectly fine," Tahno said, waving a hand breezily. "He'll be released as soon as your teammate and I settle some unfinished business."

Korra sneered at him. "And what business do I have with you?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, his calm facade cracking ever so slightly. "We never finished our match." His voice was clipped.

Korra returned the dirty look and cracked her knuckles. "I remember finishing it quite nicely, actually. With you running away with your tail between your legs."

His nostrils flared.

"But if you insist on my beating you again, I'm happy to be of service," she continued, raising an eyebrow, clearly knowing how she was only making him more agitated.

He sprang forward without warning, brandishing a water whip and cracking it in her direction. She dodged it neatly, jumping forward to meet him head on as Mako stepped back to give her room.

She didn't bother bending, her plan to humiliate and defeat Tahno using only her hands, feet, and skill. Darting in close, she grabbed hold of his wrist, twisting it around her body, and putting her weight into flipping him onto the ground. He laid there in shock for a breath of a moment before jumping back up and lunging forward again.

His attacks were all power and no finesse, Korra was quick realize. She was able to slip in again and again, delivering taunting blows and grinning at him the whole time.

It didn't take long for Tahno to become completely enraged, and the water turned to daggers of ice in his hands. He slashed at her, and Mako tried to step in for the first time. She stopped him with a deadly look before turning her full attention back to her enemy, who she maddeningly continued to evade.

There was no technique to his attack anymore, only instinct. Korra sensed oncoming victory as sure as the waves pounded on the shore.

In her confidence, though, Tahno managed to get a strike in, right down her center. He barely grazed her, but it was enough to cut her clothes.

Her shirt was still intact, but she instinctively tried to cover herself before remembering that _Kor_ would have no problem baring his chest during a fight.

Tahno saw. He smirked, and stood. Though he was panting heavily, and the clear loser of their physical match, he said, "I think we all know who the real winner is here."

Then he strode away, motioning to the shadows. Bolin came stumbling out, looking dazed as the other two Wolf Bats who'd been holding him pushed him forward before joining Tahno. Mako was quick to catch his brother's arm to right him and Bolin hugged him tightly. Korra simply glared at Tahno's retreating back, her heart sinking as she knew that he took her most dangerous secrets with him.

* * *

There was a palpable tension in the players' box before the final match as the three Fire Ferrets geared up.

This was it.

If they won, Mako wouldn't have to worry about providing for himself and Bolin for a whole year. He wouldn't have to wonder where his next meal was coming from or if he was going to be evicted because their landlord found someone who would pay him more. He wouldn't have to worry about Korra discovered, and she'd be able to rest with the knowledge that she'd fought with the best of them and won. They could be together.

But if they lost…all of that would be gone.

None of them had heard anything more from Tahno, and no one had approached them about Kor, but they were all wary.

Mako secured his helmet, and checked his arm guards one more time before turning to his teammates. They each wore equally intense expressions and watched him gravely.

"There's nothing I can say now that I haven't said a thousand times before or that you don't already know," he began simply. "It's been an incredible season. Let's end it on a high note."

They nodded and took their places on the platform that carried them to the arena while the crowd's deafening cheers rose to a fever pitch and the announcer's voice boomed around them.

"Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the team that came from behind, that overcame everything every hurdle on their journey here tonight, the rookie challengers, The Fire Ferrets!"

They were temporarily blinded by the lights shining in their eyes. When the spots cleared, Mako stole a glance at Korra. She had tears in her eyes as she smiled broadly and looked out at the overwhelming support of the crowd, some of whom were chanting her name.

His heart thumped loudly in his chest, and he smiled, too.

"And their opponents, the three time reigning champions, The Wolf Bats!"

The Wolf Bats, dramatic as ever, were accompanied by small firecrackers that lit up the arena as fans ooh-ed and aw-ed, which the team drank in, smugly waving to their howling fans.

The six benders took their places, those in red uniforms glaring at those in gray.

The bell rang and the fight began.

A cloud of dust divided the two teams as their opening attacks clashed, neither team waiting for it to clear before continue the onslaught.

Mako watched as Korra dodged a close call with Tahno's fist, only to be caught in the gut with a disc from the Wolf Bat's earth bender. As he struggled to catch his breath, he was hit again and pushed back across the line and into zone two. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Korra step back as well, and Bolin was left to defend the first zone.

They tried to fight back, but the Wolf Bats seemed to have already found their rhythm, and an illegal fire headshot forced Bolin to duck and roll for cover back in the next zone.

The buzzer sounded and as the Wolf Bats advanced, Mako tried to regain his focus, though he was burning up at the fact that the refs weren't calling that headshot.

It seemed they were on their own to win this. He could see Korra itched to fight fire with fire, so to speak, but he caught her eye and shook his head, mentally willing her to keep it clean.

She frowned at him, but looked like she would obey as she caught the Wolf Bat firebender off guard and sent him to the ropes with a triumphant grin.

Her victory was short lived as he retaliated, missing her but hitting Bolin hard, sending him stumbling back. Tahno joined in on the attacked and froze the water under Bolin's feet. The Fire Ferret earthbender plummeted into the drink.

Mako hurried to help Korra, who was struggling as the firebender unleashed a blaze on her. When the flames let up, the Wolf Bats looked at the remaining Fire Ferrets with predatory glee, and unleashed all three elements on the two remaing players, celebrating as they flew back and over the edge, turning to the fans and basking in the cheers.

But unbeknownst to them, Korra miraculously managed to grab hold of the ring, her fingertips holding on for dear life while Mako dangled from her other hand. With a battle cry, she flung him back up, the momentum sending her splashing to the drink. As soon as he was on his feet, Mako delivered a deliciously satisfying blow to Tahno's back and sent him sprawling.

Tahno spun around and glared at Mako with such fury that Mako winked, reveling in the waterbender's anger.

Still, when the buzzer rang, the round went to the Wolf Bats, and things weren't looking good for the Fire Ferrets.

The Wolf Bats' dirty tricks didn't stop in the second round, though the Fire Ferrets were able to hold their ground this time and scraping by with a tie.

Korra stepped forward when they won the coin toss, clearly eager to take Tahno on in front of all of his fans.

"You ready to lose again?" She taunted, pleased with the way that muscle under his eye twitched.

"I'm no loser," he growled, and the whistle blew.

Korra knew his attack style by now and within seconds, he was flat on his back on the outside of the ring. She watched smugly as his teammates stared at her in disbelief and the crowds went wild.

The two teams were tied now, and Mako's heart raced with the possibility. Only one round stood between them and victory - a matter of minutes before their fates were decided.

However, unable to accept to possibility of defeat, Tahno sprang up with hatred in his eyes and Korra in his sights. In the blink of eye, he turned the water to ice, and once more slashed at her uniform, cutting her bindings.

Even in the bulky cloth, her curves were now clear as day.

"The Fire Ferrets cheated!" Tahno announced loudly, pointing an accusing finger at Korra, who glared defiantly in his direction. "Kor is a _girl_! And not just any girl, but the _Avatar_!"


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Korra stood proudly in the ring with her back straight an eerie hush fell over the stadium as the crowd was struck dumb with shock. Then, as quickly as a summer storm, angry and confused voices filled the arena. Korra was glad the cut still granted her modesty so she didn't have to defensively cover herself, and instead turned to face Tahno with murder in her eyes as the back of her her uniform gapped open, revealing the smooth curve of her spine. Her breasts felt heavy without the support of her bindings, but that was only a minor annoyance, and hardly something to keep her from lashing out.

Tahno stood smugly as the referee made his way to the ring. "Is this true?" He demanded.

"You'll have to be more specific," Korra said without taking her eyes off of Tahno.

"Are you a girl?"

Quickly turning her gaze to the ref, she gestured pointedly at herself. "Clearly."

"And the Avatar?" He sounded dumbstruck, clearly having expected her to deny it.

Korra whipped off her helmet and shook out her sweat-soaked hair. Tucking the helmet under her arm and placing her hand on her hip, she simply said, "Yes."

The ref's face went red as he struggled to find words, but Korra cut him off before he strained himself too much.

"I don't see why that should be a problem though," she continued, raising her voice so everyone could hear. The crowd's roars quickly dulled to a soft buzzing. "As I'm clearly good enough to fight with the boys. And I've never used anything but my water-bending."

"T-This is highly irregular," the ref stammered. "I'll have to confer with -"

"No," Korra cut him off. "I know exactly what you'll do. You'll say the rules say no girls. But you've watched me fight the entire season. You know as well as anyone that those rules are ridiculous."

He faltered, and Mako stepped up. "I'll vouch for her, too, ref. I've trained and worked with her all season. She's got just as much right to be here as I do."

"I'll vouch, too," Bolin chimed in, taking his spot next to Korra as well.

Mako crossed his arms over his chest. "Unless Tahno and his teammates are so afraid of losing that they'd stoop to trying to disqualify their opponents," he taunted. The vein on Tahno's forehead pulsed.

For a long time, no one said anything. The ref weighed the Fire Ferrets' words, and the Wolf Bats watched Tahno for direction.

Surprisingly, it was the Wolf Bat earth bender who broke the silence. "This is ridiculous. Just let her fight. We'll still win." He raised his chin to Tahno. "Besides, we don't want any rumors spreading that we're afraid of a girl."

Tahno glared at him, but brushed his hair away from his face and said, "Fine." He gave the Fire Ferrets once last dirty look before repeating himself. "Fine. We'll give them the beating they deserve and prove that girls have no place here."

Korra cracked her knuckles. "We'll just see who proves what."

The ref gave her team a moment in the players box so she could fix her uniform. She fixed her binding - while the boys blushed and turned their backs - and grabbed a spare uniform. It was a little big on her and smelled of mothballs, but it was better than having her back exposed.

Then, back in the ring, the third and final round started with the ref's announcement, "With the agreement of both teams, the Avatar will be permitted to fight, so long as she solely bends water."

Korra's heart surged with pride, and a vain part of her wanted to fight without her helmet and with long hair streaming so that everyone who saw her knew she was a girl. But the rational part of her brain quickly snuffed that thought - nothing was worse than fighting with hair in your face - and she checked the chin strap one last time. She knew the she would be the prime target, and the Wolf Bats certainly weren't going to go easy on her.

The bell rang out and an explosion of dirt and water divided the two teams. She blindly attacked, but heard no grunt or cry indicating a hit, and when the dust cleared, she saw the three Wold Bat huddled on one far side of the ring. They smirked, then the earth and fire benders took to their respective opponents and cornered them with a barrage of flame and clay.

Tahno wanted to take Korra on himself.

Her eyes flashing to her teammates, Korra knew she wasn't going to get any back-up, and fought to block Tahno's rapid-fire attacks. He was getting sloppy, his rage evident in both his eyes and his footwork. It wouldn't take much to knock him further off balance.

Korra flipped back, out of reach but also into the next zone. Mako and Bolin were still both staunchly in Zone One, but she didn't know how long that was going to last. She felt the clock ticking down with every beat of her heart, and knew she act to act fast.

Tahno snarled with a crack of his water whip, which caught Korra just enough to sting. She flinched away, her heel barely grazing the border to Zone Three. The buzzer rang in her ears. Tahno's triumphant look grew as she retreated, and she clenched her fists. She just needed a second to get off the defensive. The boys seemed to be holding up, biding their time, but their attackers showed no sign of weakening and time was precious.

She crouched, presenting a small of a target as she could while spinning away from Tahno's attacks. With the distance between them, she was more difficult to hit. If they'd been smart, the Wolf Bats would have tried to get Mako and Bolin back as well, but those two weren't going anyway. Either way, with things as they were, the Fire Ferrets would lose.

Korra needed a knock-out.

The crowd began chanting. There were only seconds left.

She took a deep breath, briefly closing her eyes and summoning all that remained of her strength.

When her ice blue eyes opened, they saw the confident Tahno falter beneath the power of her attack.

The first blow hit his knees from the side, breaking his stance. That was quickly followed by an intense blow to the chest, followed by another and another as he stumbled with wide, shocked eyes to the railing. He flailed, trying to grab hold of the ropes, but Korra was too fast for him, and continued her barrage until he fell from the edge, landing in the drink with a satisfying scream and a splash.

The bell rang.

The match, the tournament, it was all over.

And the Fire Ferrets won.

* * *

Mako could finally lower his guard as the danger of flying rock or flame was brought to a stop. The attacks had blinded him, and when he heard the final bell, he feared for the worst. He spun to see if Korra was still in the ring.

She was, and she was glorious.

He'd never felt prouder than the moment she removed her helmet and faced the crowds, and the crowds cheered for her. They knew full well who she was, and they cheered anyway.

He ran over to her and scooped her up into an enormous hug, spinning her around and shout with joy.

She shouted something back, but he couldn't hear her over the noise of celebration. When he gave her a confused look, she just rolled her eyes, grabbed his face between her two hands, and kissed him squarely on the mouth.

When she pulled back, he knew he was grinning like a fool, but he didn't care. "You won!" He shouted in her ear.

"We all won!" She shouted back, and the enormity of it all hit. He hugged her again, and then Bolin joined them, throwing his arms around the pair of them.

The three of them didn't let go for a long time.

—-

After the award ceremony and the after parties and all the fuss, Mako and Korra were finally alone. Bolin had winked at them and disappeared somewhere around 2 AM when they were still surrounded by fans and being showered with praise. Swarms of young women wanted to meet Korra, and Mako hadn't left her side since the match.

Korra stretched, reaching her arms above her head and soaking in the moonlight that seeped through the attic windows. Mako watched her, too exhausted to even light the lamps. But it was a pleased, satisfied sort of exhaustion that came from a hard days' work.

Korra sank onto the couch she'd called her bed, sprawling out like a sleepy lemur pup. Mako chuckled, and Korra tried to glare at him, but gave up and patted the space next to her.

"Come join me, Captain. We both need a rest."

"I thought those parties would never end," he said as he joined her, nervously sitting on the edge.

"Well, I'm kind of a big deal," she teased. "And we did just kind of make history."

"You made history," he pointed out gently, his tone serious and touched with a bit of awe. "I just stood back and let you do your thing."

She picked up his hand, twining her fingers with his. "You did more than that. You gave me the chance I needed. You gave me the support I needed." He opened his mouth to protest, but she held up her other hand to stop him. "Sure the road was a little rocky, but Mako, I truly couldn't have done it without you."

He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. Her eyes fluttered close. "I'm sure you would have found a way. You really are the most amazing person I've ever met."

She smiled. "You know, the tournament's over now. You're allowed to kiss me again." Her eyes were still closed, but her lips quirked up teasingly.

Mako laughed. "I might have figured that out when you kissed me in the arena."

Her cheeks colored and her eyes flashed open. "I did do that, didn't I?"

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No. Tenzin might kill me, but it'd be worth it." She grinned wolfishly.

He chuckled and lightly kissed her nose. "I better get my fill before he gets his hands on you, then."

"As if you'll ever get your fill of me," she scoffed teasingly.

He pressed his lips to hers, kissing her deeply and wrapping her up in his arms. "That is beyond true."

—

The next day, the streets were abuzz with the news of the Avatar fighting in the tournament, and how girls may be able to legally join in next year's season. Korra beamed with pride whenever she overheard a conversation about her, though Mako was somewhat more cautious.

"Not everyone is going to be happy with the change," he pointed out.

"Stop being such a stick in the mud," she replied simply and looped her arm through his as they walked toward the ferry.

He liked having her on his arm, he couldn't deny that, but he was still nervous. Something still felt…off. Unfinished. Even though there was official talk in the Council, and his prize money was safe in the bank (after some help with opening an account), he felt on edge.

When he reached the docks, he understood why.

Tahno was waiting for them with arms crossed and hair surprisingly stringy.

"What are you doing here?" Mako immediately demanded, stepping in front of Korra. She rolled her eyes and stepped back up beside him with a quick, light jab to his side to remind him she was perfectly capable of defending herself.

"My team revolted," he said simply, sounding dejected. "Kicked me off. Said it was my fault for losing the match."

"It kind of was," Korra muttered under her breath, and Mako fought a smile.

"So what's that got to do with us?" He asked instead.

Tahno sighed heavily. "How did you do it? I mean, you're just a girl."

"That doesn't make me inferior to you," Korra said, just as simply. "I've trained just as long - if not longer - than you have. I'm strong, and I work hard. It doesn't matter if I'm a boy or a girl, hard work will pay off in the end. And in the end, I was simply the better fighter."

Tahno stared at her for a long moment, as if he understood the words, but couldn't string them together to get the meaning out of them.

Finally, he sighed, shaking his head. "Maybe," he conceded. "We'll fight again, kid. Someday. And I'll beat you."

"I look forward to it," she said, placing one hand confidently on her hip and raised her chin with a smirk.

With a mocking, two finger salute, he said, "See you 'round. Uh-vatar."

Mako and Korra watched him walk away, no longer the proud pro-bender champion. He was simply nothing more than a man.

—-

Mako and Bolin were welcomed to the Air Temple Island with open arms. The young air benders were ecstatic to finally meet them properly, and Pema loved the boys after they practically inhaled her cooking and sheepishly asked if there was any more. It wasn't long before she essentially adopted them as her own.

Tenzin took a little bit longer to convince, but he eventually came around. He didn't even scold Korra for having a boyfriend behind his back, but Korra suspected that was thanks to Pema. The woman repeatedly pointed out how sweet and helpful and _down to earth_ and _not a crazed lunatic _Mako was. Mako suspected Tenzin had been expecting someone much worse. It was Korra, after all. He probably thought she'd pick someone as crazy as herself.

Things fell into routine after that. Mako and Korra spent their days apart working where they were needed, then came together in the evening for dinner with the air benders, or off-season practice with Bolin or simply spend together. The routine wouldn't last long, of course, as Korra would be needed elsewhere, but Mako never failed to wait for or follow her, whichever the situation called for. There were late nights and lost notes, fights and make ups, tears and laughter, but they were always together in spirit.

Because together, they could be themselves, free from pretense and ridiculous expectations and the heavy weight of the world. They were happy. They were in love.

And that was all they really needed.

**The End**

* * *

_ AN: So that's it! I can't believe it. Thank you for reading and sticking with me. I read every review and truly appreciate every reader. I hope you enjoyed it! I don't know what else to say but thanks again!_


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